EPHRATA, Wash – A woman who said she was fired over comments she made about Charlie Kirk’s death is now suing, saying her employer violated her First Amendment Rights.
Marilee Castillo worked in dispatch support for the Grant Transit Authority. She started working there in 2024.
After Charlie Kirk’s death, Castillo wrote on her personal Facebook page: “When a horrible trash-human dies and others talk about them as if they were wonderful, as opposed to the modern day Nazi that they were, what is that called?”
She also wrote, “We had to put our flags at half mast this evening. I said someone else can do it because I’m not touching the flag for him.”
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court, Castillo said someone complained to the GTA about the comments.
The lawsuit says an investigation also revealed Castillo made a comment about Kirks’s death to a co-worker, but it was not heard by anyone in the public.
Castillo says she was fired on September 25 because of her comments.
The lawsuit claims GTA violated Castillo’s right to free speech. She’s seeking damages including lost wages and benefits. She says she also suffered humiliation and distress due to the loss of her job.
The Grant County Transit Authority has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
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