KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Members of the University of Tennessee community gathered Wednesday afternoon in support of a professor facing termination for comments she made following political activist Charlie Kirk's death , calling on the school to reinstate her.

UT announced on Sept. 15 that it placed assistant professor Tamar Shirinian, an anthropology faculty member, on administrative leave and began termination proceedings against her after looking into a social media post she made. The university said the post "failed to meet our expectations for civil engagement."

United Campus Workers gathered in the Humanities Plaza on campus. The group launched a petition calling on Chancellor Donde Plowman to reinstate Shirinian, affirm the constitutional rights of all employees to speak as private i

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