Muncie human rights commission president resigns over Charlie Kirk comments

This story has been updated.

After Muncie’s City Council and the mayoral administration called for his resignation, the Muncie Human Rights Commission president is stepping down. It comes after he posted social media comments celebrating the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

SteVen Knipp was appointed by the previous city council to lead the Human Rights Commission.

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.

Members of the Muncie City Council and the mayor’s office 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.”

On Thursday night, Knipp said he submitted his resignation. In the letter, he said he was resigning so the commission could do work “free from distraction and negative association.”

Knipp also said he did not regret having what he calls “an emotional reaction to a violent situation.” But he admitted he “failed” at his duty as a public official.

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.