Ball State Spent $750,000 on Charlie Kirk Firing Lawsuit, Settling for $225,000
Updated
Updated · IndyStar · Jun 23
Ball State Spent $750,000 on Charlie Kirk Firing Lawsuit, Settling for $225,000
1 articles · Updated · IndyStar · Jun 23
Summary
$750,000 in total costs hit Ball State after it fired former health director Suzanne Swierc over comments about Charlie Kirk, including nearly $500,000 in outside legal fees and a $225,000 settlement.
May 26 emails show President Geoffrey Mearns backed settlement because the payout was expected to be cheaper than continuing litigation over Swierc's claimed First Amendment violation.
Four outside firms worked the eight-month case, led by Jones Day at $311,000 and Taft Stettinius & Hollister at $154,000; the tally excludes Ball State's internal legal office costs.
The spending landed as Indiana public universities face tighter state funding and program cuts, sharpening criticism that a public university spent heavily defending a speech-related firing.