Washington Post ordered to reinstate Ghanaian-American columnist Karen Attiah

Attiah was dismissed by the newspaper over social media posts she made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The arbitrator, Sarah Miller Espinosa, ruled that The Washington Post lacked sufficient grounds for termination and violated its labor agreement, stating the newspaper "did not have good and sufficient cause" to dismiss Attiah and failed to establish gross misconduct. Attiah welcomed the decision, viewing it as a confirmation of wrongful termination and a message about freedom of expression for journalists.

She expressed willingness to return to the newspaper. Her dismissal stemmed from social media commentary on political violence, racial double standards, and America’s attitude towards guns, made after Kirk was fatally shot in September 2025. Attiah criticized expectations for showing "care, empty goodness and absolution" towards white men promoting hatred, and referenced Kirk's 2023 comments questioning the "brain processing power" of prominent Black women.

The Washington Post reportedly took issue with her assertion that Kirk had "espoused violence" and her quoting his past remarks. Attiah, who was the founding editor of the newspaper’s Global Opinions section, was reportedly the last remaining full-time Black opinion columnist at the time of her dismissal, which occurred amid changes in the Opinions