OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) – A former University of Mississippi employee filed a federal lawsuit against the university’s chancellor.

The Oxford Eagle reported Lauren Stokes filed the lawsuit on October 21, 2025, saying she was wrongly fired over a private social media post regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Stokes said the university violated her First Amendment rights.

Stokes said she was fired from her position as executive assistant to the vice chancellor of the university development on September 11, 2025. The newspaper reported she reposted a statement that criticized Kirk’s past rhetoric on her private Instagram account. She later removed the repost and apologized.

University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce announced an employee had been fired for “insensitive comments” made on social media.

“These comments run completely counter to our institutional values of civility, fairness, and respecting the dignity of each person. We condemn these actions, and this staff member is no longer employed by the university,” Boyce said. “All of us have a responsibility to take seriously our commitment to upholding a civil and respectful campus environment.”

Stokes is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and a declaration that Boyce violated her constitutional rights. According to the Oxford Eagle, a jury trial was requested.