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The Florida Department of Education plans to investigate any teachers in the state who engage in “vile, sanctionable behavior” related to the Wednesday assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
“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,” Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas wrote in a memo sent out to state school superintendents and shared with Fox News Digital.
He added, “These few are not a reflection of the great, high-quality teachers who make up the vast majority of Florida’s educators. Nevertheless, I will be conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior.”
Kamoutsas said the memo should serve as a reminder that teachers are “held to a higher standard as public servants.”
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The memo came after a teacher in Clay County, who allegedly shared a post on social media that said: “This may not be the obituary. We were all hoping to wake up to, but this is a close second for me,” was reportedly suspended, according to Florida’s Voice.
Kamoutsas shared a news article about the suspension on Thursday, writing on X: “I commend Superintendent Broskie @oneclayschools for taking swift action to suspend a teacher who despicably celebrated the death of Charlie Kirk — a dedicated conservative, Christian, and family man. Such behavior is unacceptable and must have consequences.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also shared the Department of Education memo, on his X page, writing, “Celebrating the assassination of a 31-year-old father of two young kids is disturbing; that teachers would be among those who do so is completely unacceptable. Glad @StasiKamoutsas is bringing accountability. It is sad that we’ve seen a number of teachers across America celebrate Charlie Kirk’s murder.”
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The memo noted that teachers are subject to ethical guidelines and said the commissioner could use “probable cause to sanction an educator’s certificate.” An educator’s conduct that makes a student or their family feel “unwelcome or unwilling to participate in the learning environment” could also be a violation.
“Although educators have First Amendment rights, these rights do not extend without limit into their professional duties,” Kamoutsas added. “An educator’s personal views that are made public may undermine the trust of the students and families that they serve.”
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