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FIRST ON FOX: Dave Portnoy, founder and owner of Barstool Sports, stated in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that any decision to terminate an employee for slandering Charlie Kirk would be made on a “case by case” basis, leaving the door open for such actions.
During his conversation at the third annual Pizza Fest event in New York City, Portnoy, who has been vocal about his views on Kirk’s recent assassination on social media, emphasized that Barstool has previously dismissed employees for controversial remarks.
“We did have someone in a Philly bar who made what I would consider insensitive comments, and we fired them right away,” Portnoy remarked. “People are going to express whatever they want; it’s a free country.”
“Those expressions can have repercussions,” he added.
Last week, Portnoy condemned the assassination of Charlie Kirk, stating on X that “it doesn’t matter what your opinion is of Charlie or his politics. If you don’t view this as one of the darkest days in American history, then you are part of the problem.”
Barstool would not be the first company to act against employees for insensitive comments regarding Kirk’s assassination. Numerous organizations have already taken similar actions.
For instance, the Carolina Panthers terminated communications staffer Charlie Rock after he questioned the public mourning of Kirk’s death on social media.
MSNBC also let go of political analyst Matthew Dowd for suggesting that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,” referring to Kirk’s rhetoric.
Additionally, Nasdaq fired an employee for comments that “condone or celebrate violence.” The Pentagon suspended Army Col. Scott Stephens for celebrating Kirk’s death with insensitive posts, while the Department of Homeland Security placed FEMA analyst Gavin Sylvia on administrative leave after he criticized President Trump for lowering flags for Kirk, labeling him a “literal racist homophobe misogynist” online.
Amid these firings, Portnoy reiterated that Barstool would evaluate situations individually but hinted that they would consider disciplinary action for comments deemed inappropriate.
https://x.com/stoolpresidente/status/1965881104235442236
