Washington Post Must Reinstate Karen Attiah
An arbitrator ordered the Post to rehire columnist Karen Attiah after firing her over posts.
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Updated Aug 24, 8:51pm ETEvery side, every morning
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The reporting
Private arbitrator Sarah Miller Espinosa ordered The Washington Post to reinstate opinion columnist Karen Attiah and provide back pay after finding the paper lacked good and sufficient cause to fire her. Attiah was dismissed in September 2025 over social media posts about Charlie Kirk after the conservative activist was killed, including comments about violent white men and political violence. The ruling found the Post violated its collective bargaining agreement with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild. Attiah had filed a grievance in October 2025 challenging the firing.
Analysis & opinion
Firing JustifiedMostly Right
Karen Attiah’s comments about Charlie Kirk after his assassination were dishonest, inflammatory, or otherwise unacceptable for a Washington Post journalist. The Post was right to fire her, and reinstating her rewarded conduct that should have remained a fireable offense.
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