In the two days since conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated, social media reactions have ranged from the sorrowful鈥攇rief, condemnation, and offering prayers鈥攖o the crassest expressions of celebration from online critics.
Teachers have been among those who are alleged to have posted controversial and inflammatory comments about Kirk鈥攑rompting widespread doxxing, disciplinary actions in several states, and warnings from state officials to 糖心动漫vlog about inappropriate online statements.
The resulting firestorm has raised questions of teachers鈥� online speech rights and responsibilities during emotionally charged and politically divisive events.
Kirk, 31, a co-founder and executive director of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, was shot Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University and died later that day. A close ally of President Donald Trump, Kirk is credited with bringing conservatism to younger generations鈥攈is with college students about politics often went viral on social media platforms and helped him build a massive following. Kirk also had a history of making about marginalized groups.
National teachers鈥� union leaders Kirk鈥檚 killing, calling it 鈥�.鈥�
But teachers in , , , , , , , , , , , and have been fired or placed on leave ahead of investigations into alleged social media comments critiquing Kirk and implying approval of Kirk鈥檚 death.
Educators鈥� posts in , Fla., and , Md., for instance, suggested Kirk鈥檚 death was 鈥渒arma鈥� for his controversial stances particularly on gun use, drawing quick backlash and investigations. An Iowa high school teacher was put on leave after his superintendent said he allegedly posted 鈥�1 Nazi down鈥� on Facebook in reference to Kirk鈥檚 killing.
The ensuing backlash against these types of posts have led to spiraling security concerns for schools. Lancaster, Pa., public schools on its Facebook account Thursday following outrage over a teacher鈥檚 alleged post.
In Massachusetts, Wachusett Regional school district Superintendent James Reilly announced the district had asked for additional police patrols on its campuses after a teacher was accused of making 鈥渋nappropriate comments on her personal social media page.鈥� In a posted on the district鈥檚 web page, Reilly said the teacher was under investigation and barred from campus, adding that 鈥減olitical violence, especially, has no place in our country, and it directly contradicts our nation鈥檚 founding principles.鈥�
While the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 landmark 1968 decision Pickering v. Board of Education ruled that teachers and other public school employees retain their First Amendment rights to comment or reflect on issues of public concern or debate, they can be censured for speech that is so inflammatory it interferes with their effectiveness as public workers.
鈥淐elebrating the assassination of a 31-year-old father of two young kids is disturbing,鈥� Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on X. 鈥淭hat teachers would be among those who do so is completely unacceptable.鈥�
In a to school districts Sept. 11, Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas pledged to investigate every educator who posted 鈥渄espicable comments鈥� related to Kirk鈥檚 murder, and warned that 糖心动漫vlog鈥� First Amendment rights 鈥渄o not extend without limit into their professional duties.鈥�
鈥淎n educator鈥檚 personal views that are made public may undermine the trust of the students and families that they serve,鈥� Kamoutsas wrote. 鈥淔lorida law allows the Commissioner to find probable cause to discipline an educator who, 鈥榰pon investigation, has been found guilty of personal conduct that seriously reduces that person鈥檚 effectiveness as an employee of the district school board.鈥欌��
On Friday, authorities arrested a 22-year-old suspect in the shooting.
On the same day as Kirk鈥檚 assassination, two teenage boys were shot and injured at a high school in Colorado鈥�the ninth school shooting of 2025. School districts have been the sites of an unceasing number of fatal shootings over the years. Since 2018, there have been 230 school shootings in which at least one person was killed or injured, according to an Education Week tracker.
Some of the online postings by Kirk鈥檚 critics have been directed at his support of gun rights. The conservative activist had would increase public safety, including for children.
Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar estimates at least eight 糖心动漫vlog in the state are being investigated for alleged comments or social media posts. Spar said the union is encouraging teachers to be aware of their roles in the community.
鈥淪ocial media is not a place where we talk with friends. It鈥檚 a place where we鈥檙e talking to a very broad public audience,鈥� Spar told Education Week. 鈥淚 think this calls for a time where we need to let calm prevail, and we need to remember that what we do as a union and as 糖心动漫vlog is bring people together.鈥�
But Spar said he was 鈥渜uite concerned with the tone and tenor being spewed at 糖心动漫vlog.鈥� Educators have been threatened or doxxed, and official calls to investigate teachers鈥� speech, he said, strike a 鈥渧ery accusatory and threatening tone.鈥�
Online identification campaigns target teachers
Campaigns to find potentially negative comments and posts about Kirk and dox their makers have taken root online.
Scott Pressler, founder of Early Vote Action, a conservative voter registration group, sent out a call on the social platform X for reports of teachers鈥� reactions to Kirk鈥檚 murder, : 鈥淚nbox filling. Keep them coming. Pouring over teacher after teacher. Will not stop.鈥�
A broader site, 鈥�,鈥� requested the names, profiles, and identifying information of students or employees 鈥渟upporting political violence online鈥� and pledged to create a searchable database.
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters also urged the public to report potentially offensive posts from teachers to the state鈥檚 , generally used for reporting cyberbullying, fraud, and professional misconduct.
Walters that he had 鈥渞eceived countless emails and messages of teachers celebrating, glorifying this assassination. ... Any teacher that glorifies the assassination of the hero Charlie Kirk will have their teachers licenses taken from them, and they will never be back in an Oklahoma classroom.鈥�
At least one Oklahoma City teacher has been reportedly fired over 鈥溾�� comments about the assassination, which have since been removed.
Broad official or private investigations into teachers鈥� speech outside the classroom, however, could put teachers at risk of violence and make it harder for them to teach, union leaders said.
鈥淭eachers have been under an incredible amount of stress in Florida when it comes to talking about and discussing current events,鈥� Spar said. 鈥淚t is nearly impossible for teachers to discuss current events in our schools now, under the current laws and rules and threats that they operate under every day.鈥�
