{"id":164180,"date":"2025-09-13T01:31:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T01:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/after-charlie-kirks-death-teachers-and-professors-nationwide-fired-or-disciplined-over-social-media-posts-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T01:31:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T01:31:00","slug":"after-charlie-kirks-death-teachers-and-professors-nationwide-fired-or-disciplined-over-social-media-posts-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/after-charlie-kirks-death-teachers-and-professors-nationwide-fired-or-disciplined-over-social-media-posts-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"After Charlie Kirk's death, teachers and professors nationwide fired or disciplined over social media posts – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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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\u2019s 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\u2019s death, including \u201cyou reap what you sow.\u201d Another allegedly wrote, \u201cThis isn\u2019t a tragedy. It\u2019s a victory.\u201d
Vodden said the university had received \u201cnumerous complaints\u201d about the posts. \u201cBecause this is a personnel issue, we cannot offer further comment at this time,\u201d she said.
Middle Tennessee State University fired a staff member, according to a statement shared Wednesday<\/a> 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\u2019s death in a manner it deems inappropriate.
\u201cIt has been brought to my attention that some Florida educators have posted despicable comments on social media regarding the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk,\u201d said the memo, signed by Florida education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas. \u201cI will be conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior.\u201d
Oklahoma\u2019s state superintendent, Ryan Walters, similarly promised to investigate teachers making incendiary comments on social media about Kirk\u2019s death, and he confirmed his department<\/a> is investigating one middle school educator called out on X.
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder<\/a> 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<\/a> 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<\/a> Donald Trump win a higher share of young voters.
Kirk was known for taking contentious stances<\/a>, including the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen<\/a> and comments he made about Black people<\/a>, the LGBTQ community<\/a>, feminism<\/a>, and immigration<\/a>.
Turning Point USA hosts a \u201cProfessor Watchlist<\/a>\u201d and \u201cSchool Board Watchlist<\/a>,\u201d websites that called out faculty and school board members, respectively, over allegedly promoting far-left ideology. The sites have faced criticism<\/a>.
In recent years, right-wing activists have followed in the group\u2019s footsteps of pinpointing academics and teachers over comments<\/a> they make in classes or online. And in the two days since Kirk\u2019s death, they\u2019ve 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<\/a> that a staff member was let go due to comments the individual had \u201cre-shared\u201d on social media. The school did not immediately respond to NBC News\u2019 request for further details.
\u201cThese comments run completely counter to our institutional values of civility, fairness, and respecting the dignity of each person,\u201d Boyce wrote Thursday. \u201cWe condemn these actions, and this staff member is no longer employed by the university.\u201d
Several K-12 school staff from Mariposa, California<\/a>, 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\u2019s employment at the next school board meeting, after they allegedly posted, \u201c1 Nazi down,\u201d regarding Kirk\u2019s killing.
At Newport News Public Schools in Virginia, an unidentified staff member was suspended after allegedly writing on Facebook, \u201cI hope he suffered through all of it,\u201d in regard to Kirk\u2019s death, according to NBC affiliate WAVY of Portsmouth<\/a>. <\/a>
\u201cGiven 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,\u201d Robert C. White, a spokesperson for the schools, said in a statement that did not identify the teacher. \u201cTherefore, employees are expected to exercise professional judgment when using social media.\u201d
A Baylor University graduate student lost their job as a student teacher in Texas\u2019 Midway Independent School District due to a post they allegedly made on social media about Kirk\u2019s 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<\/a> that it is \u201cgreatly disappointed\u201d 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.
\u201cIf we create a climate of fear so that everyone is afraid to talk,\u201d Goldstein added, \u201cthen we\u2019ve actually kind of accomplished the goals of people who wanted to silence Charlie Kirk in the first place.\u201d
Kimmy Yam is a reporter for NBC Asian America.
Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles.
© 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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