BREAKING: Wausau River District director fired over Charlie Kirk post
Callie Wulk's post appearing to celebrate Kirk's death don't reflect the organization's values, River District Leaders posted
The Wausau River District announced that Wausau River District’s director is no longer with the organization following a post she made appearing to celebrate the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Callie Wulk is no longer with the organization, according to a Facebook post by the River District.
The statement referenced Wulk’s post but did not repeat it. She appeared to have taken down a number of her social media accounts, including LinkedIn.
The Wausau River District’s statement in full:
The Wausau River District Board is aware of a recent social media post made by our Executive Director that does not reflect the values of our organization or the broader Wausau community. Ms. Wulk is no longer employed by the Wausau River District.
We believe that Main Streets are for everyone. At the core of our work is a commitment to inclusive engagement, shared prosperity, and respect for all people — regardless of political affiliation, background, or belief. While we recognize and respect the right to individual expression, we also believe that human dignity must always be upheld, even in moments of profound political or cultural disagreement.
“Our community is built on peaceful dialogue and a shared belief in the value of human life,” said Board President Joe Mella. “The recent post runs counter to these ideals. As a board, we are taking immediate steps to ensure our organization continues to model the values we publicly uphold.”
We remain committed to serving the downtown community with integrity and respect. Our hearts are with the Kirk family and all those impacted by yesterday’s senseless violence in Utah.
Wulk was hired in May of 2024 to replace long-time River District employee Blake Opal-Wahoske.
A screenshot on Channel 9’s website showed the original post where she shared a story about Kirk’s death, with clapping emojis. Following the emojis, the post said, “well deserved.”
Wulk Thursday morning issued a statement saying she regretted the post and that she doesn’t condone violence.
The Wausau River District has not said who will replace Wulk in the interim while it searches for a new director.
Update
Rise Up Central Wisconsin earlier announced that it has removed Wulk from its board of directors.
Their statement on her removal:
It has come to the attention of our Board that one of our directors, Callie Wulk, responded publicly on social media to the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. We want to make it clear that Ms. Wulk’s individual viewpoints do not represent the values or beliefs of Rise Up Central Wisconsin. Effective immediately, she has been removed from our Board of Directors.
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Charlie Kirk himself said "you can tell a lot about a person by how they react when someone dies". It is not hyperbole to say that those who celebrate the death of another human because they think differently are the greatest danger to civilization. Nothing less than demonic.