A law professor at the University of Alberta has been placed on non-disciplinary leave while the university reviews online comments made following the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.In an email to law students, faculty dean Fiona Kelly confirmed the leave but did not name the professor. Kelly noted that faculty, staff, and student groups have also been the targets of threats, the National Post reported.“Given the violent nature of the attack on Mr. Kirk and the fact it occurred on a university campus, the administration is focused on ensuring the safety of faculty, staff, and students, particularly those facing online threats and vitriol,” Kelly wrote.The university said it will continue to monitor the situation..Kirk was killed on Sept. 10. In the aftermath, University of Alberta law professor Florence Ashley, who has previously described 'themself' as the first openly transfeminine clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada, posted comments on the social media platform Bluesky.The posts referenced a New York Times column by Ezra Klein, which argued that Kirk had been an effective political communicator and that his death marked a troubling blow to open political discourse.In response, Ashley wrote: “You do not, in fact, ever have to hand it to the Nazis. I utterly do not care for any ‘virtues’ that someone may perceive in them.”In a follow-up, Ashley clarified that the remark was an allusion to an internet meme which wasnot a direct comparison of Kirk to Nazis. The meme is typically used to mock attempts to credit objectionable figures or groups with positive qualities..Ashley responded to the Western Standard stating, "The post does not claim that he was a Nazi."While the university has not confirmed the identity of the faculty member on leave, the timing of the review coincides with Ashley’s posts.
