A former Wake Forest University athletic trainer is suing North Carolina Rep. Pat Harrigan for falsely claiming she was fired for her comments about Charlie Kirk.
The libel lawsuit was filed in Forsyth Superior Court on Monday.
The complaint alleges Harrigan sparked a spread of misinformation regarding Bridget Sullivan’s employment status.
She had made an Instagram post on her personal account following Kirk’s death, writing “He had it coming”— lyrics to a song from the musical "Chicago."
According to the complaint, an unknown source published screenshots of her post, along with her Wake Forest University biography and photo. The post was later amplified by Harrigan.
After receiving numerous safety threats, the complaint states that Sullivan and Wake Forest mutually agreed to part ways.
But on Sept. 16, the complaint alleges Harrigan made a social media post claiming Sullivan had been fired, which received more than 874,000 views. The claim was then repeated by multiple news outlets.
The complaint document states that Harrigan's post harmed Sullivan's "personal and professional reputation," and exposed her to "ridicule, hatred, contempt, and safety threats."
Sullivan is asking for $75,000 in relief for lost wages, emotional distress, reputational damage and more.