Tennessee Grad Student Wins $250K Settlement in Free Speech Case Over Social Media Posts

Kimberly Diei successfully argued her First Amendment rights were violated when her university investigated and nearly expelled her for sharing rap lyrics online.

• Kimberly Diei, a former University of Tennessee pharmacy student, was awarded $250,000 after a legal battle over social media posts deemed 'crude' by her school.
• The posts, featuring lyrics from Cardi B's 'WAP' and Beyoncé's 'Partition,' were shared under a pseudonym and did not reference her university affiliation.
• The university's professional conduct committee investigated her twice, nearly expelling her in 2020 for alleged professionalism code violations.
• Diei filed a federal lawsuit in 2021, claiming the public university violated her First Amendment rights by policing her off-campus, personal expression.
• A federal appeals court ruled in her favor in 2024, leading to the settlement, which included $180,000 for Diei and $70,000 for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

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