Susannah O’Brien #

Introduction #

Susannah O’Brien is a former Rutherford County, Tennessee, elementary school teacher who had taught for approximately 25 years, with her career spanning the Murfreesboro City Schools, Rutherford County Schools, and Metro Nashville-Davidson County Schools. In September and October 2025, she was placed on leave and then fired by Rutherford County Schools over Facebook posts made after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. In October 2025, she filed a lawsuit against the district claiming she was wrongfully terminated and arguing that the firing violated her free-speech rights, seeking reinstatement and damages.

Background Information #

O’Brien spent roughly a quarter century as an elementary school teacher, working across three Tennessee school systems: the Murfreesboro City Schools, Rutherford County Schools, and Metro Nashville-Davidson County Schools. Both outlets that covered her case identified her by her decades in local classrooms rather than by any prior public profile, and neither reported a prior disciplinary history. Her termination arose from her social media activity following the Sept. 10, 2025, assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed at an on-campus event at Utah Valley University. According to Fox 17, her posts allegedly labeled Kirk a “white supremacist” among other things. The word “allegedly” belongs to the outlet’s characterization of the lawsuit’s account of the posts; neither Fox 17 nor NewsChannel 5 republished the posts’ full wording.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

The sequence documented in coverage is short. According to the lawsuit, O’Brien was placed on leave in mid-September 2025 and subsequently fired on Oct. 1. NewsChannel 5 likewise reported that she was placed on leave in mid-September and fired on October 1. The firing came about three weeks after Kirk’s Sept. 10 assassination at Utah Valley University, which her posts referenced. Coverage did not report the grounds on which the district said it acted, and neither outlet republished the posts’ full text, so the exact wording she was fired over has not been made public through these reports. What is documented is the timeline: leave within days of the assassination, termination at the start of October, and a legal filing within roughly another week.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The documented response came through the courts rather than through public statements. O’Brien filed a lawsuit against the school district claiming she was wrongfully terminated. Her suit argues that her termination was based on her exercise of free-speech rights, which did not interfere with her professional responsibilities. It argues that her Facebook posts related to Mr. Kirk had nothing to do with her employment and in no way criticized her superiors or their policies. It also argues that she made her Facebook posts as a private citizen and not in connection to any of her professional duties or responsibilities as an employee. Rutherford County Schools confirmed receipt of the legal notice but declined to comment further due to the ongoing litigation. Neither outlet reported a district statement explaining the termination itself, and neither described community reaction to the firing in detail. NewsChannel 5 framed the dispute from O’Brien’s side as a wrongful termination claim.

Current Status #

As of the most recent reports, dated Oct. 9, 2025, the lawsuit was pending. O’Brien is seeking declaratory, injunctive and monetary relief, including reinstatement and compensation for damages. The district had confirmed receipt of the legal notice but declined further comment, citing the ongoing litigation. NewsChannel 5 likewise reported that she is seeking declaratory, injunctive and monetary relief, including reinstatement and compensation for damages. No criminal charges were involved at any point; the case consists of the employment action and the civil free-speech claim, and no ruling on the suit had been reported.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The firing ended a roughly 25-year teaching career in Tennessee public schools, according to the coverage. The departure followed the mid-September leave and the Oct. 1 termination, both documented in the lawsuit as reported by the two local outlets. Because her suit seeks declaratory, injunctive and monetary relief, including reinstatement and compensation for damages, a favorable ruling could restore her position; the litigation’s outcome had not been reported as of the last coverage. Fox 17’s report catalogued the story under topics including termination, free speech, and social media, reflecting how the case was framed as a test of whether a public employee’s personal Facebook activity can cost her a job. Until the suit resolves, her employment record with Rutherford County Schools ends with the Oct. 1 firing that her filing contests.