Monica Meeks Allowed to Pursue First Amendment Lawsuit Against Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
Monica Meeks, a former employee of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, has been granted the right to continue her First Amendment discrimination lawsuit. This decision comes after a motion to dismiss the case was denied by Judge Aleta Trauger. Meeks was terminated last year, hours after posting a comment on her personal Facebook page regarding the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Her post, which did not identify her as a state employee, stated, “the way you tap dance for White Supremacist should be studied!” This case is one of several in Tennessee where government employees have sued over disciplinary actions or termination following comments made after Kirk’s death. Republican gubernatorial nominee Marsha Blackburn has been actively urging state entities to penalize these employees, many of whom have since received settlement payouts. Blackburn also recently called on the University of Tennessee leadership to “ensure reverence” on the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s death.
