Florida Scientist Fired Over Kirk Post Wins $485,000 From State

A Florida state agency has agreed to pay $485,000 to scientist Brittney Brown, who was fired over her social media post about the killing of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.

But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission didn’t agree to rehire Brown, and she won’t reapply for a job with the agency, according to the proposed settlement released Thursday by Brown’s lawyers with the ACLU Foundation of Florida.

• The proposed settlement hasn’t yet been approved by Judge Mark E. Walker of the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• Brown is set to receive $235,000 in compensatory damages, $40,000 in back pаy, and $210,000 in attorneys’ fees, the proposed settlement says
• Brown last September reposted a statement about Kirk’s murder on Instagram, which stated that “the whales are deeply saddened to learn of the shooting of charlie kirk, haha just kidding, they care exactly as much as charlie kirk cared about children being shot in their classrooms, which is to say, not at all.”

Gary S. Edinger of Gainesville, Fla. also represents Brown. Lawson Huck Gonzalez PLLC represents agency executive director Roger A. Young. Henry Buchanan PA represents Melissa Tucker, Brown’s former supervisor.

The case is Brown v. Young, N.D. Fla., No. 4:25-cv-00419, settlement announced 5/20/26.