Muncie officials call for resignation of human rights commission president over Charlie Kirk comments

Muncie’s City Council and the mayoral administration are calling for the resignation of the president of the local Human Rights Commission.  As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, that’s after social media comments celebrating the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

SteVen Knipp leads the Muncie Human Rights Commission, after being appointed by Muncie’s previous city council.

This week, after Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a university in Utah, Knipp made comments on another Muncie resident’s Facebook post about the incident.  He said Kirk “constantly provoked hate and violence toward other people,” then said Kirk “deserved this,” and continued that “I hope he is only the first!”
 

Those comments on the original post have since been deleted.  What remains is an image Knipp shared of a Charlie Kirk quote in response to another poster.

Since then, all members of the Muncie City Council and the mayor’s office have issued statements calling for Knipp’s resignation or removal from the commission.

Democrat council members say “no one in a position of leadership should cheer for or inflame violence.”  Republicans call his words unacceptable and dangerous and say that words have consequences.  The Muncie mayor’s office says Knipp’s comments “run counter to the mission of the Human Rights Commission as well as the values of our city.”

If Knipp does not resign, all council members have asked for a special meeting to discuss his removal.  The Human Rights Commission next meets Monday evening, September 15.

Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host.  Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.