(NewsNation) — A local news anchor in Springfield, Illinois, said she was suspended for eulogizing Charlie Kirk after he was killed during a speaking event last Wednesday at Utah Valley University.
Beni Rae Harmony posted on social media that her former station, WICS-ABC20 Springfield, suspended her after her tribute to the Turning Point USA co-founder.
“Effective immediately, I have resigned from @WICS_ABC20 after being SUSPENDED for airing a non-partisan tribute to Charlie Kirk this past Friday,” Harmony wrote on social media. “Many in the mainstream media have been fired or punished for mocking his assassination. I believe I am the first to be targeted for honoring him on air.”
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Harmony thanked the viewers of Springfield in her post, and said, “My resignation is guided by values that are essential to who I am, which I refuse to set aside in order to keep a job. I choose my faith and love of country and always will.”
As Harmony mentioned, several people have been fired or disciplined for making disparaging comments about Kirk.
MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd and Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah both lost their jobs over comments following Kirk’s death. Teachers, firefighters and other employees not in the public spotlight have also been fired or suspended.
