Fresno State acknowledges ‘review’ of secret recording of lecturer’s Kirk comments

Fresno State said school officials are reviewing whether a secret recording of caustic comments from a lecturer about the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in September violated student conduct rules or state law.

The recording led to lecturer Barri Brennan being placed on a paid leave. Brennan told The Fresno Bee in interviews and also wrote in an opinion piece that the recording had damaged the institution of the “academic classroom experience.”

“What that student did by illegally recording me in class sullies the academic classroom experience for both students and faculty,” Brennan wrote, in the piece published by The Bee. “I concede that my words did not represent my best self, but what that student did to the integrity of the classroom experience was far more nefarious. The student created fear where there once had been safety; the student created suspicion where there had been trust; the student created self-censorship where there had been freedom of self-expression.”

The class syllabus does not expressly prohibit the use of electronic recording devices, but says they should be turned off and put away prior to the start of class, unless the instructor gives permission to use them. California also is a two-party consent state, which applies where there is a reasonable expectation a conversation is private and not being overheard.

The university on Thursday said in a statement that it was reviewing the incident. The video, which was posted to social media, was recorded as Brennan was speaking to a student before the start of a class in the fundamentals of public speaking.

The identity of the person who made the recording has not been publicly revealed.

“As soon as the university became aware of the recording, we initiated a review to understand the circumstances under which it was made,” the university said in a statement to The Bee. “This process has involved utilizing available university resources to thoroughly examine the file and speaking with individuals who may have relevant information. That review is ongoing.”

The university has not offered any comment to The Bee about its investigation, or review, into the incident or potential disciplinary action for Brennan or person who made the recording. Fresno State moved quickly to cover Brennan’s five fall semester classes with substitute lecturers. She is under contract to the university through May 31, 2027.

Public school and higher college professors around the country were disciplined or “canceled” for making negative comments about Kirk in the wake of his killing.

In a video that was posted to social media, apparently prior to the news that Kirk had died from his wounds, Brennan said: “You want to know what I think? It’s too bad he’s not dead. Gonna put my political views right out there. And that’s exactly what I thought. He’s just shot? I was like, he’s not dead? I don’t even know who he is. Just a description of him. Don’t care.”

Brennan is scheduled to teach two classes in the spring, but said she did not know at this point whether she will be back on campus as the university reviews the incident.

“It’s not that I’m not grateful for the paid leave, because I am,” Brennan said. “However, my preference is that I be able to earn my paycheck honestly.”

Katherine Shurik, a part-time lecturer in the university’s department of anthropology, is teaching three classes this semester after creating a firestorm with social media posts in April wishing death to President Donald Trump. One included a photoshopped picture of Trump in a coffin.

“I have a dream for this to happen much sooner rather than later,” Shurik wrote, as a caption.

Fresno State at that time issued a statement about Shurik, condemning the social media posts and comments, but the university did not specify whether it took disciplinary action.

The syllabus Brennan distributed to the class does not expressly prohibit the use of electronic recording devices, but states “all electronic devices (cell phones, laptop computers, tablets, iPods, mp3 players, AirPods) should be turned off/silenced and put away prior to the start of class, unless the instructor has given permission to use them.”

Fresno State president Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval addressed the issues of free speech and academic freedom in a campus-wide email in October, without mentioning Brennan.

“Across the country, universities are grappling with important questions about free speech and academic freedom,” Jiménez-Sandoval wrote. “Fresno State welcomes these conversations as part of our calling as a public university – to foster an environment of inquiry and innovation, in which discourse strengthens the formation of new knowledge. We hold a dual responsibility: to safeguard free expression and academic freedom, while ensuring that our classrooms and public spaces remain respectful and inclusive places conducive to teaching, learning and civic engagement. These values are not in conflict – they complement and strengthen one another.

“As a university, we must collectively affirm that condoning violence in any form is never acceptable and violates the central tenets of community. Our mission calls us to model engagement and strengthens - not fractures - our campus community. Civic discourse requires humility, restraint, and a willingness to listen with curiosity and understanding.”

The Fresno State president, in that email, also addressed electronic recording in classrooms.

“Many course syllabi include specific guidelines about recording in the classroom, and those policies must be followed,” Jiménez-Sandoval wrote. “Violations of the course policy are subject to appropriate disciplinary action.”

This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 1:15 PM.