In a decisive move, the University of California, Los Angeles has terminated its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) chief following controversial remarks he made celebrating the murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Jonathan Perkins, who held the role of DEI director at UCLA, sparked outrage after he posted a series of provocative messages on Bluesky, a social media platform known for its liberal audience. In these posts, Perkins expressed satisfaction over the assassination of Kirk, a figure known for his conservative views.
In a post from September, Perkins wrote, “Good riddance. It is OKAY to be happy when someone who hated you and called for your people’s death dies – even if they are murdered.” He further added, “I’m always glad when bigots die” and asserted, “You can’t force people to mourn someone who hated us – no matter how he died.”
These statements quickly prompted UCLA officials to take action, placing Perkins on administrative leave while they initiated a formal investigation into his conduct. The university stressed its commitment to free speech but made it clear that any endorsement of violence, including its glorification, stands in stark opposition to its values.
“While free expression is a core value of UCLA, violence of any kind — including the celebration of it — is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the institution stated, underscoring its stance against the inflammatory remarks made by Perkins.
‘While free expression is a core value of UCLA, violence of any kind — including the celebration of it — is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,’ the university said at the time.
Following the investigation, school officials fired Perkins last week, with records obtained by the Los Angeles Times showing his last day on payroll was Friday.
Perkins has now launched an online fundraiser to help seek vengeance, as he threatens to sue the school for wrongful termination and First Amendment violations.
He also plan to move back to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
UCLA’s director of race and equity Johnathan Perkins has officially been fired from his position over a series of posts on BlueSky in which he appeared to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s assassination
Charlie Kirk, a conservative commentator, was fatally gunned down at Utah Valley University in September
Perkins’ social media posts were made two days after Kirk was shot dead
Perkins has repeatedly argued he was simply exercising his right to free speech when screenshots of his posts began spreading over social media. He also claimed he received death threats.
But a termination letter obtained by the LA Times cited violations of policies on ‘workplace violence prevention,’ including posts that ‘referenced or appeared to endorse violence or death’ and made ‘demeaning or generalized remarks about demographic groups.
‘Given the nature of your role as Director of Race and Equity, the university has determined that this conduct significantly undermined trust in your leadership and adversely affected the office’s effectiveness and credibility,’ the letter read.
Perkins was also reportedly handed a roughly 250-page set of investigation findings that detailed a history of social media controversies.
In one since-deleted tweet from March 2022, the DEI chief appeared to wish death upon conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after he was admitted to hospital.
‘No one wants to openly admit [we all] hope Clarence Thomas dies,’ he wrote.
Two years later, Perkins came under public scrutiny again when he spread fake rumors that Kate Middleton was faking condition as she underwent cancer treatment.
Perkins, who was in remission from lymphoma at the time, defended his comments.
But in both instances, UCLA distanced itself from his remarks, saying his comments did not reflect its views.
Join the debate
Should expressing controversial opinions online cost someone their career and livelihood?
Perkins was making $135,000 a year in his job as director of the school’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
University officials originally placed Perkins on leave, and had previously distanced themselves from other controversial comments he made online
But as a black DEI director, Perkins said he felt compelled to keep speaking out, even as he quit X and switched to Bluesky following President Donald Trump’s victory in 2024 and put a disclaimer on his bio saying ‘ALL posts are personal and DO NOT reflect my employer’s views.’
‘I will always speak out against racism… I would post my thoughts [about Kirk] again,’ he told the LA Times.
He cited an incident in 2011, when he was studying at the University of Virginia School of Law, for instilling in him the importance of speaking his mind no matter the consequences.
Perkins had claimed at the time that campus police racially profiled him during a search while he walked home from a party and told him he fit the description’ of a man they were looking for and carried out a body search.
However, weeks after his letter was published, Perkins dramatically retracted his claims, saying in a statement: ‘I wrote the article to bring attention to the topic of police misconduct. The events in the article did not occur.’
The ensuing backlash was huge, and he was accused of race-baiting and labeled a liar by fellow Virginia students and in the media.
In 2017, Perkins backtracked again, this time claiming the incident did happen as he had first described, but that he had been forced to retract his statement following threats from the FBI.
Perkins has set up an online fundraiser to help with his relocation costs for him and his four pets as well as help to sue the school for alleged First Amendment and wrongful termination violations
He described at the time what happened after he changed his story, claiming that news reports and commentary ‘branded me a liar, a race-baiter, the Boy Who Cried Wolf and a prime example of the problems with affirmative action.’
‘I lost the law firm job I had secured,’ he added.
Perkins said he now stands by his original article.
Yet as he now faces a future without his $135,000-a-year job, Perkins is asking the public for help to pay his bills.
He wrote in the online fundraiser that he is planning to move to Philadelphia, where he will have to pay rent while also paying penalty costs for ditching his home in Los Angeles.
‘On top of these challenges, I have two dogs and two cats who require care and support during this transition, adding to the financial and emotional strain,’ Perkins noted.
He then said he was ‘reaching out for support from my community and anyone who believes in not just fighting racism, but standing up for free speech and fairness during these stunning times.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Perkins for additional comment. As of Thursday, the online fundraiser has raised over $10,000 to help him.
