A former Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist who was fired in September over sharing a post from another account that referenced slain conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk was awarded a $485,000 settlement from the state on Thursday.
“All I wanted was my job back. I see no leaders amongst FWC ‘leadership,’ but that’s to be expected when a state agency becomes the governor’s personal puppet show,” biologist Brittney Brown wrote in a statement shared by the ACLU of Florida.
Brown was fired over sharing a post that originally came from a comedic whale-themed account, which she shared on her private Instagram account on Sept. 10, 2026, according to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU’s Florida affiliate.
“The whales are deeply saddened to learn of the shooting of charlie kirk, haha just kidding, they care exactly as much as charlie kirk cared about children being shot in their classrooms, which is to say, not at all,” the post read.
