A board member of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s charity has been removed after making controversial remarks about the murder of conservative political organizer Charlie Kirk.
The killing has resulted in damaging rhetoric online, leading to resignations and firings, and now it has in-part reached the NFL.
Judge Ted Berry of Hamilton County Municipal Court, who has represented Cincinnati, Ohio, and nearby communities since 2005, is facing criticism for messages he shared on Facebook after Charlie Kirk was shot at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday.
Judge Ted Berry Says Charlie Kirk is in Hell
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Barry commented on Facebook, “Rest in Hatred & Division!” and “How’s he feel about gun violence & gun control in Hell, now?”
In response to a post suggesting the nation was split on Kirk yet open to understanding him better, Berry wrote that Kirk “spewed hate & division.”
Berry later said that because of Kirk’s activities, “many black colleges are receiving hateful bomb threats, etc.” Multiple historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) received potential bomb threats a day after Kirk was shot.
According to a Ohio state representative, Barry also commented and deleted a post stating, “So, a white guy killed him! Color it KARMA!” That state representative is calling on Berry to resign as a judge.
Berry told The Enquirer he does not “condone any type of violence on any human being.”
“I regret if I caused division,” he said. “That was not my intent. And I hope there can be peace.”
Joe Burrow Foundation Announces That Berry is Removed From Board
On Friday, the Joe Burrow Foundation announced it had removed a board member, who was not named, but it was determined to be Berry.
“We have terminated an advisory board member that made inappropriate remarks in light of recent events and they are no longer associated with the Foundation,” the statement read. “Their comments do not reflect our values or our mission.”
Burrow founded the organization in 2022 to support children facing mental health challenges and food insecurity. He has not publicly commented on the foundation’s decision.
Charlie Kirk Shot on College Campus; Suspect in Custody
Kirk, 31, was speaking outdoors at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10 when a gunman opened fire from a rooftop, fatally striking him with a single shot. The brazen attack was witnessed by thousands of students on campus and immediately spread to the broader public via social media.
Widely recognized in conservative circles for influencing younger voters, Kirk played a key role in two of President Donald Trump’s electoral victories. President Trump announced that Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, and their two young children.
After a few days of mixed messages from authorities, Trump announced that the suspected gunman was apprehended — 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from St. George, Utah.
Joe Burrow’s Charity Fires Board Member Judge After Comments on Charlie Kirk’s Murder