Ball State Employee faces Backlash After Facebookโ Post Followingโฃ Charlie Kirk‘s Death
Muncie, IN – Suzanne Swierc, a ball โState University employee, experienced a surge of harassment and threats after a private Facebook post expressing her disapproval of Charlie Kirk was publicly shared following his death on September 10th at Utah Valleyโ University. The incident highlights the escalating tensions surrounding political discourse and the โpotential consequences ofโข online expression.
The controversy began when Swierc posted on โคFacebook, “If you think Charlie Kirk was a marvelous person, we can’t be friends.” though her Facebookโค settings were private, a screenshot โคof the post was taken and disseminated widely online.Within 19 minutes,the post appeared on the X account of Libs of TikTok,a social media account known forโฃ its coverage of social and political issues. Elon Musk, Rudy Giuliani, and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita alsoโฃ shared or commented on โthe post, with Rokita labelingโ Swierc’s comments “vile” and โขquestioning her suitability for a leadership position.
swierc subsequently received a barrage of threatening calls,texts,and voicemails. โฃ”They were โcalling me all kinds of names, threatening my job,” she told The New York Times. “It was every awful curseโ word under the sun.” She immediatly alerted her supervisor, fearing for her employment.
The incident comes amid broader โฃconcerns aboutโ political polarization and the willingnessโข of individuals to โexpress strong โopinions online. Some observers have noted a perceived disparity in tolerance for political expression, with claims thatโ those on the left are more likely to endorse or support political violence. This โคcase also โunderscores the increasingly blurred lines between private and public online spaces, as even private social media posts can quickly become public through screenshots and shares.โข
The โsituation raises questions about the boundaries of free speech, the responsibilities of socialโ media platforms, and the potential repercussions for individuals who express controversial opinions online.