A former Elk River English teacher who wrote “Karmas a bitch” after news broke of Charlie Kirk’s assassination is now demanding Alpha News delete all coverage of her Facebook post, claiming the outlet — not her own words — caused her unemployment and the backlash that followed.
Alpha News received a five-page demand letter from an attorney representing former instructor Jackie Alderman.
The letter — addressed to Alpha News president Alex Kharam and journalist Liz Collin — claims Alpha News “published derogatory statements about Ms. Alderman, with the express intention to encourage third parties to harass, harm, or target Ms. Alderman in her personal and professional life.”
SUBMITTED: More Minnesota teachers public posts on Charlie Kirk
Jackie Alderman is an English Instructor at Elk River High School pic.twitter.com/idy1EQa16j
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) September 18, 2025
Alderman’s attorney argues that sharing Alderman’s public post amounted to harassment, doxxing, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The letter demands that Alpha News “immediately retract all statements regarding Ms. Alderman,” delete any and all posts referencing her, and cease future reporting.
The letter includes screenshots of Facebook users reacting to Alderman’s post and claims Alderman has endured “personal, professional, and reputational harm,” and that her family has faced “property damage” as a result .
It also claims Alderman and her children “are in fear of constant harassment and doxxing” and says she has been unemployed for two months despite applying to “more than 30 jobs.”
Alpha News attorney responds
Alpha News’ attorney Chris Madel, who is currently running for governor, responded with a six-page rebuttal rejecting the demands in their entirety.
Madel clarified that Liz Collin simply reposted Alderman’s own publicly visible content. He also noted that Alderman’s page was accessible not only to her Facebook friends but to the general public as well: her job title, photo, and post were already available online before Alpha News’ coverage.
Madel also pointed out that Alderman’s reaction to a national political figure’s death was inherently newsworthy, and that any attention that followed stemmed from her own public comment.
“A public school teacher posting ‘Karma[ i]s a bitch’ about Charlie Kirk’s assassination was not just inappropriate—it was grotesque. Anyone with a shred of decency knows you do not cheer on a killing, and the fact that a taxpayer-funded educator thought it was clever to broadcast that filth online is astonishing. Teachers are supposed to set an example, yet your client showcased judgment so warped and mean-spirited that it calls into question not just her professionalism, but her basic fitness to stand in front of a classroom at all,” Madel wrote. “Liz Collin simply provided your client’s post to a larger audience. If your client is looking for someone to blame, she should look in the mirror.”
Alpha News attorney: ‘Your client caused her own injury’
He added that the demand to delete a post is not permitted under Minnesota’s harassment statute and reminded Alderman’s attorney that Section 230 protects individuals who repost publicly available third-party content.
On the claims of harassment, Madel said: “Here, of course, Ms. Collin posted one reproduction of your client’s public Facebook post. A singular post is not ‘repeated.’”
On the allegation of emotional distress, Madel wrote that Alderman’s supposed injuries — “threatening messages, phone calls, voicemails, and emails” — stem directly from her own decision to publish the post: “Ms. Collin reposted what your client published to the world. Ms. Collin did not cause your client’s alleged injuries. Your client caused her own injury.”
Madel even addressed the English teacher’s misspelling in the post — “Karmas” without an apostrophe — as “grammatically incorrect,” noting that “I will refer to Ms. Alderman’s grammatically incorrect Facebook post as the ‘Charlie Kirk Post.’”
His response also invoked Minnesota’s Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA), noting that it shields reporting and commentary on matters of public concern — including a teacher’s reaction to a high-profile political assassination.
Madel called Liz Collin “a highly respected journalist” and stated Alderman’s post is “clearly protected” speech to report on.
Madel concluded: “We place no credibility—literally none—in your client’s threats.”
Madel warns of attorneys’ fees and cites prior Alpha News legal victory
Madel’s letter includes a clear warning that Alpha News is entitled to recover attorneys’ fees if a lawsuit attempts to punish constitutionally protected reporting.
“We will seek all appropriate attorneys’ fees and costs,” Madel wrote, reiterating that the claims in Alderman’s demand letter “have zero merit” and that the “problems rest with your client. Alone.”
Madel pointed to a recent case brought by Minneapolis Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell, who sued Alpha News and later had her lawsuit dismissed with prejudice.
Furthermore, Blackwell was ordered to pay $75,000 in attorneys’ fees to Alpha News and Madel’s firm — a precedent he suggests Alderman would be wise to note.
Alpha News will not remove reporting
Alpha News said it stands firmly behind its journalists, its reporting, and the public’s right to know how public employees respond to major national events.
“As the board of directors, we stand firmly behind our journalists and have no intention of censoring our reporters from covering significant events of public interest and responses from public employees,” said President Alex Kharam.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
