Two of Indiana's top elected officials are going after educators who, they claim, have made light of the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed Sept. 10 during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University.
Gov. Mike Braun said on social media last Wednesday that the Indiana Department of Education would begin reviewing social media posts made by teachers and school administrators about the killing of Kirk, and potentially suspend or revoke their teaching licenses for misconduct.
"Teachers play a critical role in shaping of our youth. As a result, we hold them to a higher standard," wrote Braun. "While we must protect the First Amendment, calls for political violence are not freedom of speech and should not be tolerated."
An IDOE spokesperson declined to say whether the department had so far suspended or revoked any licenses of teachers over posts made about Kirk's killing, saying they would not comment on open investigations or pending administrative proceedings.
"IDOE is aware of social media comments made by a small number of Indiana educators following the assassination of Charlie Kirk and is reviewing each matter accordingly," the spokesperson told The Times in an email. "These isolated comments do not represent Indiana educators as a whole, the vast majority of which hold themselves to the highest professional standards and work diligently to model good citizenship."
Meanwhile, Attorney General Todd Rokita announced on Friday that his office was actively reviewing social media statements submitted through the Eyes on Education webpage. The so-called transparency portal was established by Rokita last year, in which people could submit complaints about "inappropriate" materials and statements in Indiana schools.
A new section of the portal had nearly 30 submissions of social media posts about Kirk's killing, supposedly made by Hoosier educators and higher education employees.
In a communication sent out this week by Rokita, the attorney general said to school superintendents and public university administrators that schools and universities had the legal authority to discipline teachers, including firing them, for "callous, crude, and controversial speech."
"Courts have consistently recognized that public employers may regulate government employee speech — including speech made in an employee’s private capacity — when it disrupts government operations," Rokita told school officials.
In response, the Indiana State Teachers Association said last Thursday that while celebrating violence was unacceptable, threatening to revoke teachers' licenses for lawful speech could silence honest teaching and stifle classroom discussion.
"Political violence threatens our democracy, but so does censorship," ISTA said in a statement. "We stand ready to work with state leaders to ensure that educators can stay focused on what matters most: teaching and supporting Indiana's students."
So far, at least one Region educator has parted ways with their district following posts made about Kirk.
A Westville Middle School teacher resigned from the Metropolitan School District of New Durham Township after her social media post celebrating the death of Kirk drew intense backlash.
Meanwhile, Valparaiso Community Schools said in a Facebook post last Tuesday that it was aware of an "objectionable" post regarding Kirk made by a Valparaiso High School teacher, and was reviewing the situation, but said it would not comment further on any specific actions taken, noting the confidentiality of personnel matters.
"As a public school district, we are committed to fostering a respectful and supportive learning environment for all our students, staff, and community members. While employees have the right to express personal opinions as private citizens, the school district also holds them to high professional standards," the district said in the post.
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