Arbitrator Orders Washington Post to Reinstate Fired Columnist Attiah

Arbitrator Sarah Miller Espinosa ruled Thursday that The Washington Post lacked cause to fire columnist Karen Attiah and must reinstate her with back pay.

• Attiah joined The Post in 2014 and served as founding global opinions editor.
• The Post fired her September 11, 2025, citing 'gross misconduct' and social media policy violations.
• Espinosa wrote that The Post 'failed to establish the grievant engaged in gross misconduct.'
• Attiah was the last full-time Black opinion columnist at the publication at the time of her firing.

Why it matters: Attiah's firing stemmed from Bluesky posts on September 10, 2025 — the day conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University.

• Two posts cited in her termination letter criticized what she called demanded 'performative mourning' for men who 'espouse hatred and violence.'
• A third post attributed a quote to Kirk; Snopes rated a version of that quote as true, though Attiah's phrasing did not precisely match Kirk's original words.

How 43 sources split on this story

Where they split: The core dispute is whether Attiah's posts were protected opinion journalism or policy-violating misconduct serious enough to bypass progressive-discipline requirements under her union contract.

What’s next: The Post said it respects the arbitration process but has not announced next steps.

• Attiah told The New York Times she is willing to return to her role.
• Will The Post comply with the reinstatement order, or contest it through additional legal proceedings?
• How will the ruling affect how major news organizations enforce social media policies on opinion staff covered by union contracts?