Jonathan Perkins, an official with UCLA's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, apparently published the remarks on BlueSky. The posts seemed to express both satisfaction and indifference to the fatal shooting of the conservative activist.
The posts were "written in my own hand, in my own voice, in no way the echo of my employer, UCLA," Perkins said in a written statement provided to The Times, adding that they were protected by the First Amendment.
"It's a truly sad day. My livelihood could ultimately be threatened for stating, in the clearest terms, that I felt no grief at the death of an avowed white nationalist- (a) man who dedicated his life to despising mine, to despising my people, to despising our very existence," Perkins's statement said. "I am devastated to learn of higher ed colleagues around the country, facing similar and much worse consequences, including termination. I admit, I thought UCLA was different. I hope we are."
Without mentioning Perkins by name, the university confirmed that an employee was placed on leave.
"UCLA has placed a campus employee on immediate leave and has launched an investigation following reports of social media posts regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk," the university said in a statement published Sunday on its website. "While free expression is a core value of UCLA, violence of any kind - including the celebration of it - is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
In the days following the fatal shooting of Kirk, numerous workers have been fired for their comments on his death, among them an employee with the Las Virgenes Unified School District and MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.
According to a statement posted on the district's Facebook page, the employee was placed on immediate leave as the district "engages in the legally required investigation and procedures to move forward with termination."
Las Virgenes Unified employee placed on leave after social media post about Charlie Kirk killing
Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as offensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk's death.
It's far from the first time workers have lost their jobs over things they say publicly - including in social media posts. But the speed at which the firings have been happening raises questions about worker rights versus employer rights.