Arbitrator orders Washington Post to reinstate columnist Karen Attiah, finds wrongful termination

Published Aug 24, 01:57 PM UTC

A private arbitrator has ordered The Washington Post to immediately reinstate opinion columnist Karen Attiah, who was fired in September 2025 after posting criticism of gun violence and a racist quote from right-wing activist Charlie Kirk following his death. The arbitrator found the Post violated its labor agreement and lacked 'good and sufficient cause' for termination. Attiah, the Post's only Black opinion columnist at the time, had posted a series of messages on Bluesky after Kirk's shooting in Utah, including a paraphrased quote where Kirk said Black women lack 'brain processing power.' The Post deemed the posts 'gross misconduct' and 'endangering the physical safety' of coworkers. Attiah called the firing a violation of journalistic standards. The Washington Post Guild celebrated the decision as a victory for contract protections and solidarity.