Attorney General Tim Griffin released a statement Tuesday afternoon about University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law professor Felicia Branch and her recent comments about Charlie Kirk's death.
"The recent appalling comments by UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law professor Felicia Branch speak for themselves," Griffin wrote in the release. "There can be no consideration of someone of such evident low character continuing to instruct future lawyers here in Arkansas. We should and do have broad academic freedom in this country. But protections for scholarship offer no reason for an employer to tolerate an employee unabashedly celebrating political assassination."
Griffin also posted two screenshots written by Branch.
State Rep. David Ray also posted a comment about Branch with a different screenshot and threatening cutting state funding to the law school.
"I find it absolutely abhorrent that a faculty member of the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law would defend, celebrate, and delight in the murder of an innocent man," Ray wrote. "This individual has no business training the future lawyers of our state, and taxpayers have no business paying her salary. I support broad academic freedom, but celebrating a political assassination crosses a line. If this person will encourage the murder of Charlie Kirk, then they will almost certainly do the same for elected officials in Arkansas.
As your representative, I commit to you today that I will NOT vote for an appropriation for the law school until this situation is remedied. Good luck finding 75 votes without my help."
The Reckoning asked Sam Dubke, communications director for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, for a comment about Branch. He referred the Reckoning to the Governor's X account.
Griffin sent an updated release after Sanders' X post. “The First Amendment protects your right to say what you want. It does not, however, guarantee you the job you want, regardless of what you say. The law school should terminate her immediately," Griffin said.
Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge sent a letter to the law school Dean Colin Crawford and attached images from Branch's social media.
The Reckoning also discovered this post by Branch on X.
