Professor Felicia Branch, a renown and highly respected expert in tax law, was terminated by the UALR Bowen School of Law from her position as Assistant Professor of Clinical Education and Director of the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic after she posted on her personal social media page regarding the death of “far-right provocateur” Charlie Kirk. Her comments expressed her honest reaction as a Black woman to Kirk’s controversial legacy vitriol and debasing rhetoric against Black people in America, including his “blatantly racist statements against Black people, Muslims, immigrants and Black women in particular…" Though the remarks were not made in a professional capacity, she was reported to the university, and the school placed her on administrative leave while “investigating” the situation.

Professor Branch was fired a few days later, which was not surprising given the obvious bias against her in the Chancellor’s initial announcement. She appealed her termination and had the full support of the Appeals Committee to overturn the firing, but the Chancellor overruled the committee’s recommendation.

Professor Branch’s post about Charlie Kirk’s death had about 50 total interactions before she took it down, yet some of the highest members of the Arkansas government, including Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Attorney General Tim Griffen, used their official government social media accounts to attack Professor Branch personally and professionally and call for her (unlawful) termination. They took a barely viewed, personal post by a single Black woman and blew it up on their own widely followed government accounts for political points. Their incendiary posts caused a cascade of harassment and threats against Professor Branch and her family. In addition to publicly attacking Professor Branch on social media, it is suspected that high-ranking government officials also applied pressure on law school leadership to permanently fire her, including a threat to withhold millions of dollars in funding for free legal clinics for low-income Arkansans throughout the state.

Professor Branch’s termination raises serious concerns about academic freedom and the right to free speech. Her case is a stark reminder of how quickly personal expression can be weaponized in today’s polarized climate. Professor Branch has been fighting against bullies her entire life, and she was wrongfully terminated because bullies at the highest level of Arkansas’ government saw an opportunity to boost their Likes by targeting her.

Professor Branch will not back down from this fight to defend her first amendment right to freedom of expression. She needs our help, so we are raising funds to help cover:

• Legal fees to challenge her termination

• Living expenses during this difficult transition

• Medical care for herself and her 2 dependent children

• Security personnel for her home

Please help Professor Branch fight for justice and rebuild her life. Any contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference.

Stand with free speech. Stand with Professor Branch.

*quotes from the following article*

https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2025/10/16/ualr-fires-black-woman-professor-over-charlie-kirk-posts-despite-panel-recommendation-not-to