RALEIGH — Former Wake Forest University trainer Bridget Sullivan is suing North Carolina Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-Hickory) for libel over an X post in which Harrigan claimed Sullivan had been fired over her Instagram post on the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk that said, “He had it coming.”
Sullivan’s Instagram post was reposted on X on Sept. 12 by an anonymous account called @Anc_Aesthetics, which tagged Wake Forest’s official account, asking the university if it was aware its trainer was “celebrating the violent political assassination of an innocent father of two?”
Harrigan responded to the post, writing he had contacted Wake Forest regarding the post, which he said “crossed the line” of decency, adding, “No university should tolerate an employee glorifying political violence. Anything less than firing her is an endorsement of it.”
On Sept. 16, Harrigan gave an update, saying, “I’m happy to report that after I contacted @WakeForest, Bridget has been FIRED for celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination.”
At some point after Sullivan’s post was noticed by the public, she set her Instagram account to private.
Through Winston-Salem area attorney Walter Holton, Sullivan filed a libel lawsuit against Harrigan on Oct. 6 for his remark that she was fired. Her complaint claims Wake Forest University officials did not terminate her, and officials discussed her safety before she and the school “mutually agreed that it would be best to part ways.”
Sullivan is seeking $50,000 in libel claims for “reputational harm, as well as economic and emotional damage, including pain and suffering,” and an additional $25,000 in punitive damages.
Several media outlets reported that Sullivan had been fired, including the Raleigh News & Observer, which ran an article on Sept. 17 with the headline, “Wake Forest athletic trainer fired after social media comment about Charlie Kirk,” but only Harrigan is named in the lawsuit.
North State Journal reached out to Wake Forest and Harrigan’s communications staff but did not receive a response.
