On Thursday, Sept. 25, Austin Peay State University’s Faculty Senate met and considered a vote of no confidence towards APSU President Michael Licari as a result of the recent termination of tenured theater professor Darren Michael. 

Michael’s initial termination came in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting on the Utah Valley University campus, to which Michael responded by posting headlines that read “Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths ‘Unfortunately’ Worth it to Keep 2nd Amendment” from back in 2023.        

Michael did have his employment at APSU mentioned in his bio at the time.  

In response to his post, Senator Marsha Blackburn tagged APSU on X, asking, “What do you say, Austin Peay State University?” 

Michael was quickly fired without a hearing, and Licari later admitted that due process was not followed. 

As a result, APSU adjusted the decision, choosing to suspend Michael as they look to terminate his tenure instead.  

Students have since protested the firing, drawing comparisons to the firing of assistant professor Logan Smith around this time last year. Smith and the university mutually parted ways after Smith was identified as the man behind numerous white supremacist social media accounts. 

The more recent incident brought forth doubt about how Licari handled the issue, resulting in the vote on Thursday, which was one vote away from being passed.