{"id":253503,"date":"2025-09-24T17:15:34","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T23:15:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/?p=253503"},"modified":"2025-09-25T10:36:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T16:36:01","slug":"questions-of-protected-speech-persist-as-msu-northern-professor-remains-on-leave-for-social-media-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2025\/09\/24\/questions-of-protected-speech-persist-as-msu-northern-professor-remains-on-leave-for-social-media-comments\/","title":{"rendered":"Montana professor still sidelined for Kirk comments"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-custom-everlit-iframe-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_1Pn5bCJvYga?client=wp&amp;client_version=3.0.2\" width=\"100%\" height=\"130px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<p>A criminal justice professor at Montana State University-Northern remains on leave for her social media comments about Charlie Kirk, the conservative figure who was assassinated earlier this month. Nearly two weeks after the university took action, faculty have yet to be notified how the administration is handling the situation, according to a local union representative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mark Seiffert, a MSU-Northern professor and president of the campus faculty union, told Montana Free Press on Tuesday that the situation leaves questions about what kinds of speech are permissible on social media for faculty members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome faculty have asked, \u2018Well if they\u2019re going over the line, where is the line?'\u201d Seiffert said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The university\u2019s response has also caused him to consider his own online activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt certainly had a chilling effect on me, and I tend to be a rabid free speech advocate,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The university placed the professor, Samantha Balemba-Brownlee, on leave Sept. 12, and she remained on leave as of Tuesday, according to a school spokesperson. In a statement, the school said it would evaluate the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The situation in the Hi-Line town of Havre played out as one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/weekly-education\/2025\/09\/15\/how-charlie-kirks-death-is-leading-to-college-staff-dismissals-00563447\">multiple cases nationwide<\/a> in which Kirk supporters seek to identify social media comments that they deem callous or hateful in the wake of Kirk\u2019s death. Supporters aimed to have people fired for their comments, and in the case of MSU-Northern, multiple Kirk supporters said on Facebook this month they were emailing university Chancellor Greg Kegel about the professor\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Balemba-Brownlee is an associate professor of criminal justice and earned a doctorate from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msun.edu\/academics\/coeasn\/CJSamantha.aspx\">MSU-Northern\u2019s website<\/a>. She teaches courses related to violent crime, forensic science and victimology, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Balemba-Brownlee wrote Facebook posts saying Kirk was a \u201cmisogynistic, racist, homophobic, xenophobic asshole. He spread hate. He harmed society. He cut down women at every turn.\u201d Reacting to the shooting, she wrote, \u201cHoly shit! Someone shot Charlie Kirk in the neck! Not condoning violence, but maybe people are sick of the garbage he spews, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In another post that has been shared across social media, Balemba-Brownlee wrote, \u201cUpdate: He died. Aw shucks. Thoughts and prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Billings Gazette <a href=\"https:\/\/billingsgazette.com\/news\/local\/education\/article_02e30345-c990-5bea-b3f5-9e0ee75a6c6c.html#tracking-source=home-top-story\">reported<\/a> that the comments were initially private, but Havre city councilwoman Sarah McKinney screenshotted and shared the comments publicly on Facebook. McKinney did not respond to an MTFP inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Sept. 12, Kegel, the university chancellor, issued a statement that addressed the Balemba-Brownlee situation, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.krtv.com\/neighborhood-news\/hi-line\/msu-northern-professors-comments-about-charlie-kirks-death-spark-controversy\">initial report from KRTV<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe comments this faculty member made are the opinions of that individual. They do not represent the opinions of MSU-Northern or reflect our institution\u2019s values,\u201d the university\u2019s statement said in part. \u201cMSU-Northern has placed the faculty member on leave while we evaluate the situation. As a public employee, this individual has rights and protections, and the university will follow established processes as we determine any appropriate steps to take.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through a family member, Balemba-Brownlee declined to comment for this story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seiffert said that the campus faculty union sought the help of its statewide labor organization, the Montana Federation of Public Employees. A spokesperson for MFPE declined to comment to MTFP on this case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jim Potter, director of university relations at MSU-Northern, declined to comment on the professor\u2019s case in detail. It\u2019s not clear how long Balemba-Brownlee\u2019s leave will last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe do have policies that we follow,\u201d Potter said. \u201cThey are online, you\u2019re welcome to follow them. That\u2019s about what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The university\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msun.edu\/admin\/policies\/1000\/1001-11.aspx\">discipline policy<\/a> outlines a review process in which the school\u2019s human resources officer determines whether or not an employee should be fired. The university spokesperson didn\u2019t comment on what specific actions administrators have taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are other guidelines that may determine the outcome for Balemba-Brownlee. The Montana Board of Regents, which oversees the state\u2019s university system, approved a <a href=\"https:\/\/mus.edu\/free-speech\/bor.html\">free speech framework<\/a> that places no restrictions on \u201cpersonal political speech\u201d done outside of a university setting. The policy framework does not explicitly mention social media use.\u00a0 A <a href=\"https:\/\/bills.legmt.gov\/?_gl=1*4jauvx*_ga*MjA0MDc1MjUzMC4xNzQ1NTExMjEy*_ga_8F11B824TP*czE3NTg3MzE4NTIkbzE4JGcwJHQxNzU4NzMxODUyJGo2MCRsMCRoNjcyNDMxOTkz#\/bill\/20231\/LC1002?open_tab=bill\">2023 bill<\/a> from the state Legislature prevents employers from terminating an employee \u201csolely based on the employee\u2019s legal expression of free speech, including but not limited to statements made on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kelly Benjamin, a spokesperson for the American Association of University Professors, told MTFP on Wednesday that the MSU-Northern case is among many across the country that target the views of academics. He said that university professors should be afforded the same speech rights as any citizen and views the attention to Balemba-Brownlee\u2019s posts as part of an unprecedented wave of attacks on higher education institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re certainly seeing a climate of fear permeate throughout our both public and private colleges and universities nationwide,\u201d Benjamin said. \u201cThere are some who feel like this is an opportunity to clamp down on free expression, free speech, academic freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t the first time MSU-Northern administration has taken action related to someone\u2019s speech. After a student made derogatory remarks against Indigenous peoples during a class in 2017, the university banned the student from campus. But Steven Wise, the dean of students who oversaw student discipline, <a href=\"https:\/\/billingsgazette.com\/news\/state-and-regional\/montana\/racial-comments-expose-rift-between-native-students-northern-administration\/article_dd27bb85-72ca-5f83-b5c5-e5d3baf8ea82.html\">invited the student to live at his personal home<\/a> while the case proceeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That incident happened under Kegel\u2019s time as university chancellor. Potter, the university relations director, called the situation \u201ca nothing thing,\u201d though the university fielded reports from Indigenous students who felt unsafe. Around the same time, an Indigenous student group pushed back against MSU-N administrators after the school <a href=\"https:\/\/www.havredailynews.com\/story\/2016\/11\/30\/local\/sweetgrass-society-says-northern-senate-denied-freedom-of-speech\/511470.html?_gl=1*y8q551*_ga*MjA0MDc1MjUzMC4xNzQ1NTExMjEy*_ga_8F11B824TP*czE3NTg3MjQ1NjAkbzE2JGcxJHQxNzU4NzI2ODUxJGo2MCRsMCRoMTE4OTEzNzM5\">painted over the group\u2019s message<\/a> that protested a North Dakota oil pipeline during a campus event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That same year, the university <a href=\"https:\/\/billingsgazette.com\/news\/local\/article_f40a49c8-8d48-57dd-855f-4c18e4be5b32.html\">paid $35,000<\/a> to settle a racial discrimination complaint filed by an Indigenous professor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At MSU-Northern, union president Seiffert said that he and others are rethinking their social media presences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI admit that I went through and rechecked all of my Facebook settings so there wasn\u2019t anything that went out to the public,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>MTFP business contractor and former deputy director Kristin Tessman is married to MSU President Brock Tessman. MTFP business staff do not have input into editorial coverage.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\t<div class=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles  wpnbha ts-2 \" style=\"\">\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"253503\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>LATEST STORIES<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"262736\" class=\"tag-montana-insights category-montana-insights type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2026\/03\/03\/75-of-voters-want-montana-to-have-at-least-as-much-federal-land-as-it-does-now\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">75% of voters want Montana to have at least as much federal land as it does now<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Federal land transfer has been a party of the GOP party platform at both the state and national level, but a recent MTFP-Eagleton poll indicates that a majority of Republican voters oppose reducing the amount of land in federal ownership.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T14:34:54-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T14:35:02-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"262727\" class=\"tag-westerndev category-politics type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2026\/03\/03\/christi-jacobsen-zinke-western-house\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen joins contest for Zinke\u2019s western U.S. House District seat<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Jacobsen made her announcement on Facebook with a campaign video portraying her as both a political outsider and the favorite of Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T12:29:26-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T22:45:03-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"262679\" class=\"tag-bob-morris tag-data-centers tag-energy tag-greg-gianforte tag-montana-insights tag-northwestern-energy tag-public-service-commission tag-ryan-zinke tag-steve-daines tag-troy-downing tag-u-s-congress tag-unleashing-energy-task-force category-energy category-montana-insights type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2026\/03\/03\/montanans-want-more-solar-natural-gas-development-are-less-interested-in-new-coal-plants\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Montanans want more solar, natural gas development, are less interested in new coal plants<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The poll results on Montana\u2019s energy mix come as politicians and policymakers grapple with surging electricity demand spurred by investment in artificial intelligence and the data centers that support it.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published updated\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T08:00:00-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Montana State University-Northern placed a professor on leave in response to social media comments she made about the assassination of the conservative figure Charlie Kirk. The school said it will evaluate the situation, but it&#8217;s unclear what that evaluation will include.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16328,"featured_media":253505,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"everlit_article_id":"artl_1Pn5bCJvYga","everlit_hide_embed":false,"everlit_embed_size":"","everlit_generation_settings":[],"_everlit_article_id":"","_everlit_hide_embed":false,"_everlit_embed_size":"","_everlit_generation_settings":[],"_everlit_content_hash":"","_everlit_metadata_hash":"d57962e1258f7ae75b59f3c15eca378a","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-09-24T23:28:22Z","apple_news_api_id":"6471bac3-9e70-4ad6-a078-87e160c7c51d","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-09-25T16:36:08Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZHG6w55wStageIfhYMfFHQ","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_primary_brand":0,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"The situation is one of multiple cases nationwide in which Kirk supporters seek to identify social media comments that they deem callous or hateful in the wake of Kirk's death.\n","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[1408],"tags":[34787,13987,35485],"post_format":[],"brand":[],"partner":[],"series":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"type-of-work":[],"coauthors":[34649],"class_list":["post-253503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-charlie-kirk","tag-free-speech","tag-msu-northern","entry"],"slp_mobile_featured_image":{"id":253505,"href":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253505","image_path":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MSUN.jpg","caption":"Montana State University-Northern in Havre.\n"},"slp_coauthors":[{"display_name":"Matt Hudson","user_nicename":"mhudson","author_link":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/author\/mhudson\/"}],"slp_primary_category":{"id":1408,"name":"Education"},"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<title>Montana professor still sidelined for Kirk comments<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Amid national calls for Charlie Kirk supporters to publicize people who make negative comments, a professor in Havre found her job in jeopardy despite a state law that protects social media speech.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2025\/09\/24\/questions-of-protected-speech-persist-as-msu-northern-professor-remains-on-leave-for-social-media-comments\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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