Lawmakers demand regents fire ISU employee who celebrated Charlie Kirk’s death

IOWA CITY — When the Board of Regents convenes in Cedar Falls later this week, they plan to discuss at least one university employee who made an inflammatory online post following the assassination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

“Given Charlie’s previous comments about their ‘necessity’ to protect 2nd amendment rights though, this (expletive) got what was coming and I’m happy he’s rotting in hell now,” Iowa State University financial aid adviser Caitlyn Spencer wrote on social media after the Sept. 10 killing — catching fire across multiple platforms and attracting millions of views and retweets, including from former New York mayor and Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

“Call 515-294-2223 and demand that this enabler and supporter of MURDER be immediately fired as a clear and present danger to the students and everyone around her,” Guiliani wrote in a post that as of 5:30 p.m. Saturday had nearly 10,000 likes and more than 5,000 retweets. “To allay legitimate wide spread fears of violence, Iowa State should announce her removal and referral for criminal investigation at the start of its 4 pm EST football game vs. Arkansas State.”

Iowa State did not respond to The Gazette’s request for comment and has not issued any press release on Spencer’s employment. A link to Iowa State’s financial aid team reads, “Sorry, we couldn’t find what you’re looking for.” A search in Iowa State’s directory also doesn’t find Spencer, who was listed in July as financial aid adviser, according to the internet archive.

Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, told The Gazette regents confirmed for him they’ll would be discussing the Iowa State post in closed session this week.

And the board on Monday updated its agenda for Wednesday by adding a closed session “to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered.”

In a letter to the Board of Regents over the weekend, Collins — who chairs the committee on higher education — and Republican Sen. Lynn Evans, who chairs the committee on education, suggested “multiple university employees publicly celebrated (Kirk’s) killing online.”

“Each instance of social media posts with cheers, taunting, and vile glee is more disturbing than the last,” the lawmakers wrote. “Such behavior is sickening — no American’s death should be celebrated, especially by those charged with the honorable duty of educating Iowa’s youth.”

They cited the employees’ social media posts as evidence of “just how far higher education has strayed from its original mission, and how desperately we need to course correct.”

Board President Sherry Bates, in response to the ISU employee post, issued a statement Friday.

“The Board of Regents is aware of social media posts made by employees and students following the violent and tragic death of Charlie Kirk. This should not be celebrated,” Bates said. “These posts and others like them are offensive, insensitive, and in no way reflect the views of the Board of Regents or its universities. The comments are inconsistent with the board’s values to create a civil and respectful environment at our public universities.”

But Collins and Evans demanded the board go further.

“Boilerplate press releases will not solve the culture problem on our college campuses — only decisive action with a clear red line,” according to the letter. “Today, we are calling for any university employees who celebrated the death of their fellow American to be terminated immediately. The trust of Iowa’s institutions of higher education is at stake, and it is upon you specifically to ensure this trust is not further deteriorated.”

Republican Party of Iowa chairman Jeff Kaufmann also shared the board statement, demanding “leadership and action from Board of Regents President Sherry Bates.”

“Not just a boilerplate press release,” he wrote. “People that are celebrating a political assassination need to be FIRED.”

Spencer is among many public educators at both the college and K-12 level to be called out, and in some cases fired, over comments about Kirk’s death in the days following his fatal shooting during his “American Comeback” tour’s first stop at Utah Valley University.

“There are multiple reports of disturbing comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk that were allegedly made by school personnel,” the Iowa Department of Education posted on X on Sept. 11. “Local education leaders are charged with investigating these reports in accordance with their local school board policies and Iowa’s standards of professional conduct and ethics.”

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Sharing that comment, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Sept. 12 said she appreciated the department’s efforts and those of school leaders “who are taking steps to stand for civility and protect our children. Political violence should never be celebrated.”

The day prior, the Oskaloosa Community School District superintendent recommended the termination of a teacher who celebrated Kirk’s death and called him a Nazi.

Outside Iowa, Guiliani on Saturday shared posts from other campuses and companies across the country — including professors at the University of Michigan, Clemson University, and Valencia College, as well as an employee for Walt Disney World.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com