Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk this week, educators across the country have found themselves facing swift termination or potential discipline after allegedly sharing opinions on social media about the killing.
At least a dozen faculty and staff, from school board officials to classroom teachers, have been met with fallout over insensitive posts about Kirk’s death. In at least two instances, universities fired staff members entirely for posts deemed inappropriate.
Many other educators have been suspended or are under investigation, and the number is likely to grow as conservative online influencers share screenshots.
At East Tennessee State University, two faculty members have been placed on administrative leave pending further review, school spokesperson Jess Vodden said. Complaints sent to the university included screenshots of Facebook comments, according to copies the school shared with NBC News, that one faculty member allegedly made in response to Kirk’s death, including “you reap what you sow.” Another allegedly wrote, “This isn’t a tragedy. It’s a victory.”
Vodden said the university had received “numerous complaints” about the posts. “Because this is a personnel issue, we cannot offer further comment at this time,” she said.
Middle Tennessee State University fired a staff member, according to a statement shared Wednesday by President Sidney McPhee.
State officials are weighing in as well, with the Florida Department of Education sending a memo to school district superintendents Thursday, threatening investigation and disciplinary action against educators who have commented on Kirk’s death in a manner it deems inappropriate.
“It has been brought to my attention that some Florida educators have posted despicable comments on social media regarding the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk,” said the memo, signed by Florida education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas. “I will be conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior.”
Oklahoma’s state superintendent, Ryan Walters, similarly promised to investigate teachers making incendiary comments on social media about Kirk’s death, and he confirmed his department is investigating one middle school educator called out on X.
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of conservative activist organization Turning Point USA, was killed Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University, a public school south of Salt Lake City. Officials on Friday identified a 22-year-old Utah resident, now in custody, as the suspect in the shooting.
Kirk was shot and killed during one of his regular events on college campuses hosted by Turning Point USA. The organization grew since 2012 to claim over 800 college campus chapters and 1,000 high school clubs, and it is credited with helping Donald Trump win a higher share of young voters.
Kirk was known for taking contentious stances, including the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen and comments he made about Black people, the LGBTQ community, feminism, and immigration.
Turning Point USA hosts a “Professor Watchlist” and “School Board Watchlist,” websites that called out faculty and school board members, respectively, over allegedly promoting far-left ideology. The sites have faced criticism.
In recent years, right-wing activists have followed in the group’s footsteps of pinpointing academics and teachers over comments they make in classes or online. And in the two days since Kirk’s death, they’ve circulated examples of school and university employees celebrating or making light of his death, often tagging the district or college where they work.
University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce said in a statement on X that a staff member was let go due to comments the individual had “re-shared” on social media. The school did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for further details.
“These comments run completely counter to our institutional values of civility, fairness, and respecting the dignity of each person,” Boyce wrote Thursday. “We condemn these actions, and this staff member is no longer employed by the university.”
Several K-12 school staff from Mariposa, California, to Orange Park, Florida, have also been placed on leave as school officials investigate social media posts, according to multiple reports. The school board in Oskaloosa, Iowa, plans to consider one teacher’s employment at the next school board meeting, after they allegedly posted, “1 Nazi down,” regarding Kirk’s killing.
At Newport News Public Schools in Virginia, an unidentified staff member was suspended after allegedly writing on Facebook, “I hope he suffered through all of it,” in regard to Kirk’s death, according to NBC affiliate WAVY of Portsmouth.
“Given that employees have a unique responsibility to serve as role models, leaders, and caretakers for students in the school division, certain behaviors are deemed inconsistent with employment in the division,” Robert C. White, a spokesperson for the schools, said in a statement that did not identify the teacher. “Therefore, employees are expected to exercise professional judgment when using social media.”
A Baylor University graduate student lost their job as a student teacher in Texas’ Midway Independent School District due to a post they allegedly made on social media about Kirk’s death. A district spokesperson told NBC News that school officials coordinated with the university to immediately remove them from being around students. Baylor posted on X that it is “greatly disappointed” in the graduate student.
Adam Goldstein, vice president of strategic initiatives at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, questioned the value of trying to oust people from their professions over insensitive remarks they make on social media.
“If we create a climate of fear so that everyone is afraid to talk,” Goldstein added, “then we’ve actually kind of accomplished the goals of people who wanted to silence Charlie Kirk in the first place.”
