In a letter sent to Texas superintendents on Friday, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said the posts could violate the educators’ code of ethics.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Education Agency will investigate public school teachers and school staff members who are accused of posting or sharing “reprehensible and inappropriate” content on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The agency announced the investigations in a letter from TEA Commissioner Mike Morath that was sent to superintendents across the state on Friday. Gov. Greg Abbott also posted the letter on social media.
Nationwide, at least a dozen teachers have been placed on leave or fired for their comments about the shooting.
“These educators’ comments do not reflect the vast majority of Texas teachers who are dedicated practitioners that work diligently to serve the more than 5.5 million impressionable young minds in our classrooms,” Morath said in the letter.
Conservative politicians and activists have been vocal in calling for investigations into and the removal of educators and public officials for comments made in the wake of Kirk’s death.
Morath said that such posts could violate the educators’ code of ethics. He said he would refer all documentation of any educator that has “proliferated such vile content” to the TEA Educator Investigation Division. Morath said they will review each instance to determine if sanctions are necessary for the alleged conduct.
“While the exercise of free speech is a fundamental right we are all blessed to share, it does not give carte blanche authority to celebrate or sow violence against those that share differing beliefs and perspectives,” Morath said.
Morath encouraged anyone who comes across inappropriate content to report it to the TEA’s Misconduct Reporting Portal.
“Respect is a core tenet of what we teach and reinforce to our students, and together, we can ensure that such values continue to be reflected in our Texas public schools,” Morath said.
The 31-year-old Kirk, a popular conservative activist and media personality, was shot and killed while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. The was part of his organization Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour.” He frequently traveled to debate students at college campuses across the nation.
In a statement on Saturday, the Texas American Federation of Teachers slammed the letter and investigations as a “political witch hunt” against Texas educators who disagreed with Kirk’s point of view.
“Here’s the thing about authoritarian regimes: They’ll take as much as the rest of us are willing to give them. It’s no surprise that, here in Texas, the purge of civil servants starts with teachers,” Zeph Capo, the president of Texas AFT, said. “If you value your freedom, now is the time to speak up and defend the rights of all Texans to exercise their constitutional right to have an opinion on matters of civil discourse.”
It comes after this week, a Texas State professor was fired after a video showed him allegedly calling for the overthrow of the government during a socialist conference, and a professor at Texas A&M University was fired following a separate video circulating online that showed a student confronting the professor about gender identity content in the classroom.
“These ‘investigations’ into teachers exercising their First Amendment rights outside their official duties silence dissent and encourage the purging of civil servants – both key tenets of the authoritarian playbook,” the Texas AFT statement went on to say. “We urge ISDs, colleges and public universities to review the section on crumbling independent institutions as they consider how to move forward.”
Officials have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect they believe fired a single shot from the roof of a nearby building, killing Kirk.
Investigators said they spoke with family members who stated that Robinson had become more politically active in recent years, and one referenced an incident where Robinson discussed Kirk’s visit to Utah Valley University with a family member. The Utah County Attorney’s Office said it will review evidence over the next few days and is expected to file charges, including aggravated murder, as soon as next week.
In the wake of his death, some have taken to social media to celebrate or mock Kirk for previous comments he made.
The Klein Independent School District near Houston on Friday announced it has fired an employee for making “senseless and completely unacceptable remarks” about Kirk’s death. Dickinson ISD and Pasadena ISD also publicly had to denounce comments about Kirk.
A graduate student from Baylor University serving Midway ISD as a student teacher was removed from his position after making a social media comment about Kirk’s death.
In the wake of Kirk’s death, Republican leaders at the Texas Capitol have announced new committees in the House and Senate that will study freedom of speech on college campuses. The House and Senate Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education will “study and issue reports on bias, discourse, and freedom of speech across Texas college campuses.”