Image Credit: LinkedIn & Austin Peay State University
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Austin Peay State University (APSU) will be paying half a million dollars to a theater professor who was initially fired for sharing a degrading social media post about the assassination of Charlie Kirk but was later fully reinstated after the school said it did not follow proper termination proceedings.
Darren Michael, an associate professor of acting and directing, was initially fired by APSU in September of 2025 but was shifted to a suspension pending termination when the university administration announced it had not followed proper proceedings for firing tenured staff.
At the time, the school released a statement saying it was committed to following through on the termination as they found the social media post Michael shared “caused significant reputational damage to the university” as it was “insensitive, disrespectful, and interpreted by many as propagating justification for unlawful death.”
But on Dec. 30, 2025, APSU President Mike Licari confirmed Michael was returning to his position as a fully tenured professor.
The sole reason the school offered for his reinstatement was the administration’s failure to follow the proper termination proceedings, though it is likely Michael threatened or filed a lawsuit as several other educators and individuals across the state have filed federal suits after being fired for similar degrading or disrespectful comments about Kirk.
Now, as part of a settlement agreement, the Clarksville university will pay Michael $500,000 and reimburse him for “therapeutic counseling services”.
The agreement also stipulates that “APSU agrees to issue a statement acknowledging regret for not following the tenure termination process in connection with the Dispute. The statement will be distributed via email through APSU’s reasonable communication channels to faculty, staff, and students.”
Both APSU has declined to comment on the settlement and Michael has not made comments to media through the process.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
