Karen Attiah, a former Washington Post opinion columnist, is threatening legal action against her ex-employer after being dismissed earlier this month over social media posts she wrote following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Attiah argued on Bluesky that she should not be forced to mourn a “White man that espoused violence.” The Post, however, cited “gross misconduct” in terminating her, claiming her remarks violated internal policies.
Backing her case, the Democracy Defenders Fund, a group describing itself as a nonpartisan coalition of experts focused on protecting democracy, sent a letter to Post Chief Human Resources Officer Wayne Connell. The letter asserted Attiah will “pursue all appropriate remedies” to challenge her termination.
According to the letter, Attiah “did not engage in any misconduct, much less ‘gross misconduct.’” Instead, it argued she was doing the very job she was hired to perform: expressing strong opinions on issues of public concern. Her comments, the group maintained, were in line with The Post’s own social media policy.
Following Kirk’s assassination, Attiah had written: “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a White man that espoused violence is… not the same as violence.” She added that the nation’s culture of mandatory grief for controversial figures helps sustain cycles of violence.
Attiah also highlighted an old Kirk quote that appeared to disparage Black women. She later clarified that it had referred specifically to Joy Reid and Michelle Obama. In addition, she shared an article titled, “Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning”, which accused the conservative activist of spreading “hate, bigotry, and division.”
The letter from her representatives stressed that Attiah exercised “journalistic caution during a fast-breaking news event,” while condemning Kirk’s killing but refusing to participate in what she called “performative mourning.” It accused Kirk of attacking Black women, opposing civil rights, and amplifying rhetoric that dehumanized liberals.
Her attorneys further argued that the firing potentially violated the collective bargaining agreement between The Post and the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.
The letter also questioned whether political pressure played a role in the decision. It pointed to owner Jeff Bezos’ alleged efforts to align The Post more closely with the Trump administration and claimed the firing could be part of a broader campaign to silence critics of the White House.
“The Post’s silencing of its only Black female opinion writer raises many troubling issues,” the letter concluded, citing First Amendment concerns, violations of labor law, and matters of public policy.
Former MSNBC host Katie Phang is among the lawyers representing Attiah.
The Washington Post declined to comment on personnel matters, and the Guild has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The Post’s Policies and Standards warn journalists against online activity that could “make reasonable people question their editorial independence, nor make reasonable people question The Post’s ability to cover issues fairly.”
