ILLINOIS (WCIA) — The conversation around the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has cost many their jobs.

In Springfield a city employee resigned this past week after making a post disparaging Kirk.

A similar thing happened in Urbana as well.

The city came out to condemn the post, but said the employee was acting as a private citizen and their speech was protected.

“When you make outrageous statements, there will be consequences. This is evident, especially in professional settings where lack of empathy and common sense results in rightful disciplinary action,” noted Senator Andrew Chesney, part of the Illinois Freedom Caucus.

The job losses in the wake of Kirk’s death have some questioning if the right to free speech is being infringed.

The ACLU of Illinois said the firings might not seem right, but they are legal.

Kevin Fee, Legal Director for the ACLU of Illinois, explained, “The First Amendment doesn’t equally protect all speech in every scenario. There’s a misconception about its reach.”

Fee said that losing a job over speech isn’t unheard of. But he added that the debate over Kirk is different.

Fee continued, “The limitations are not just for extreme opinions like those backing political violence. Even political discussions that slightly criticize figures like Charlie Kirk are affected.”

The type of speech being punished isn’t his only concern.

Conservative activists are now gathering personal information on Kirk critics and publishing those lists on websites and social media platforms.

Those efforts are getting support from top White House officials like Vice President JD Vance.

“What stands out is when influential political leaders use state power to single out and penalize individuals, targeting specific political views,” said Fee.

However, conservatives like Chesney support the White House’s involvement. He argues that critics of Kirk are overstepping boundaries and should face repercussions.

“We’re witnessing people becoming radicalized in various ways, and our aim is to address it early through legal channels and other solutions,” Chesney stated.

The ACLU also said political posts for government employees or professors at a public university are held to a different standard. It all comes down to a case-by-case basis but generally posts or statements by government employees received higher First Amendment protections.