Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge is demanding a full investigation into Assistant Professor Felicia Branch of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law after Branch publicly celebrated the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on her personal Facebook page.
In a formal letter sent Monday to Dean Colin Crawford of Bowen Law, Rutledge expressed “deep concern” over Branch’s comments, saying they were inconsistent with the responsibilities of a law professor and crossed a serious ethical line.
Branch, who teaches at the school’s Tax Clinic, posted multiple statements on social media after Kirk’s death, calling it something to “celebrate,” citing Bible verses about divine retribution, and suggesting his assassination made the world “a little more balanced.” Screenshots of the posts, included in the letter, show Branch comparing those mourning Kirk’s death to members of the Ku Klux Klan and criticizing people expressing sympathy for him.
Rutledge said such statements are incompatible with the values of higher education, the legal profession, and the rule of law.
“A public employee entrusted with preparing the next generation of lawyers cannot also be someone who publicly glorifies an assassination of a fellow American based on that person’s political beliefs,” Rutledge wrote. “Political disagreements must never be grounds for celebrating violence against fellow Americans.”
The Lieutenant Governor urged the Bowen School of Law to conduct a thorough review of Branch’s public statements and impose disciplinary action if appropriate, stressing that Arkansas must send a clear message that celebration or endorsement of violence has no place in public institutions.
While acknowledging faculty members have free speech rights, Rutledge argued that openly celebrating the murder of a political opponent undermines the trust and professionalism expected of law professors and creates a hostile educational environment.
“Encouraging violence against anyone because of their political beliefs will not be tolerated,” Rutledge said. “There is no place for that extremist rhetoric in our classrooms, our government, or our public institutions.”
The University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees was copied on the letter, signaling that the Lieutenant Governor wants the matter addressed at the highest levels of the university system.
As of Tuesday, the Bowen School of Law has not publicly commented on whether an investigation into Professor Branch has been opened.
