Karen Attiah settles with The Washington Post, declines return to opinion desk
The opinion writer who won reinstatement after being fired over Charlie Kirk comments has agreed to a settlement and will not resume her position.
By Jillian Foster ·
Karen Attiah, the opinion writer who won an arbitration case against The Washington Post, has decided not to return to her job. Attiah announced the decision in a post on her Substack, “The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah,” on Sunday. She stated that she reached a settlement with the newspaper and plans to move forward with her career and life.
Attiah explained her choice in a written statement. “While I remain proud of the victory, I came to the painful realization that returning to The Washington Post meant coming back without the guaranteed freedom and institutional support to do what I loved: use my voice, seek truth, and serve readers,” she wrote. Attiah did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the specific terms of the settlement. A spokesperson for The Washington Post declined to comment on the decision on Monday.
The dispute began after Attiah was fired for social media posts made following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. At the time of her termination, Attiah was the only Black full-time member of the Post’s opinion desk. The newspaper sent her an email accusing her of “gross misconduct.” The email claimed her public comments regarding Kirk’s death violated social media policies, harmed the organization’s integrity, and potentially endangered staff safety.
In August, an arbitrator ordered the newspaper to reinstate Attiah. The ruling found that the Post did not have sufficient cause to fire her. The arbitrator also ordered the paper to award her full back pay and lost benefits. Attiah was represented in the case by the Democracy Defenders Fund and the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.
Kirk, a white conservative who launched Turning Point USA in 2012, was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, during an event at Utah Valley University. He was 31 years old. Kirk had made provocative statements about race and politics, including calling George Floyd a “scumbag” in 2020. His death prompted a wide range of reactions from public figures, including President Donald Trump, who vowed retribution for remarks he considered disparaging.
Attiah was among dozens of professionals fired over comments related to Kirk’s assassination. The incident raised questions about free speech in the workplace. A spokeswoman for the Washington-Baltimore News Guild told the Associated Press in an email that the guild was proud to have won the arbitration for Attiah. “We are proud to have won the arbitration for Karen and are glad Karen was able to make her own choice about returning to the Post,” the spokeswoman said.
The settlement concludes the formal dispute between Attiah and The Washington Post. Attiah will no longer hold a position on the opinion desk. The newspaper has not announced any changes to its social media policies or hiring practices as a result of the arbitration.
