WaPo has been ordered to rehire Karen Attiah, who was fired for posts about white men following Charlie Kirk's killing

Karen Attiah is returning to The Washington Post successful melodramatic fashion.

The columnist was dismissed past autumn for making arguable societal media posts pursuing conservative activistic Charlie Kirk's death. Now, an independent arbitrator has ruled that Jeff Bezos' newspaper wrongly fired her.

"The Washington Post did not person bully and capable origin to terminate the employment of the Grievant, Karen Attiah," arbitrator Sarah Miller Espinosa said successful the ruling, which was announced connected Monday.

Attiah must beryllium reinstated by The Washington Post and fixed afloat backpay and compensation for mislaid benefits, the ruling said.

"This determination confirms what we've said from the start: I was doing my occupation arsenic an sentiment journalist, and doing that occupation is not misconduct," Attiah said successful a statement, adding that she's "relieved to yet person that grounds group straight."

A Washington Post spokesperson said that the institution respects the arbitration process and had nary further comment.

The Washington Post had told Attiah that its logic for firing her was 2 of her posts connected the societal media tract Bluesky, according to the termination letter it sent her, which was verified by Business Insider.

Here are the posts:

• "Refusing to tear my apparel and smear ashes connected my look successful performative mourning for a achromatic man that espoused unit is….not the aforesaid arsenic violence."
• "Part of what keeps America truthful convulsive is the insistence that group execute care, quiet goodness and absolution for achromatic men who espouse hatred and violence."

The Washington Post's missive to Attiah said that "your postings connected Bluesky (which intelligibly identifies you arsenic a Post Columnist) astir achromatic men successful consequence to the sidesplitting of Charlie Kirk do not comply pinch our policy," which forbids posts that disparage individuals based connected protected characteristics, including title and gender.

In the ruling, the arbitrator said that "it is not reasonable to conclude" that Attiah's posts "were referring to aliases disparaging each achromatic men aliases disparaging a peculiar achromatic man connected the ground of title aliases gender."

"Recognizing the title and gender of individuals does not, successful and of itself, represent disparagement connected the ground of title aliases gender," the ruling said.

The ruling besides said it was "undisputed" that Attiah, who'd been astatine the Post for 11 years, hadn't been antecedently disciplined by the institution and had not received progressive subject anterior to her termination. That intends the institution had to beryllium that Attiah committed "gross misconduct."

"The punishment of termination imposed connected the Grievant was perfectly disproportional," the ruling said.