The Texas Education Agency confirmed Monday that it’s reviewing at least 180 complaints against public school teachers and staff who posted comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to reporting from the Houston Chronicle.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday during a public event at Utah Valley University. Authorities have called the killing a “political assassination,” sparking swift public reaction from both supporters of his work with young conservatives and those who disagreed with his stance on issues like abortion and civil rights.
Education Commissioner Mike Morath warned last week that educators who “posted and/or shared reprehensible and inappropriate content on social media” could face suspension or revocation of their teaching certificates. Notably, the agency hasn’t yet opened any formal investigations; officials are currently reviewing complaints and determining whether any posts may violate the Educators’ Code of Ethics.
However, several Texas educators have already faced discipline.
In the Houston-area, Klein ISD dismissed a social studies teacher after he called Kirk “racist, homophobic, a misogynist, transphobic nasty person.” Another teacher in Goose Creek Consolidated ISD is facing termination after suggesting Kirk’s death was the “consequences of his actions.”
Sarah Rollwitz told Houston Public Media she was fired from the Bilingual Education Institute in Houston for Instagram posts criticizing the public response to Kirk’s death. Rollwitz said she was told she violated the employee code of conduct and called the experience “devastating,” adding that she was consulting lawyers as she considers her next steps.
Out in West Texas, Midland ISD placed an employee on administrative leave over comments regarding the assassination. And in North Texas, an elementary teacher and a band director at Wylie ISD both resigned after making comments about Kirk on social media.
“Looks like he took one for the team,” the Wylie ISD teacher wrote. “Hope he is roasting!”
At Texas Tech University in Lubbock, a student was arrested by campus police Friday at a memorial for Kirk after a video of her celebrating his death went viral. Gov. Greg Abbott shared the video on Sunday and thanked the university for taking action.
Teacher groups have criticized the TEA’s threats. In a statement, Zeph Capo, president of the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, said the inquiries represent a weaponization of state authority against educators.
“What started with lawmakers weaponizing their platforms against civil servants has morphed into a statewide directive to hunt down and fire educators for opinions shared on their personal social media accounts,” Capo said. “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.”
The fallout has also prompted legislative action at the Texas Capitol. State lawmakers have announced new House and Senate committees focused on civil discourse and freedom of speech in higher education, which will review enforcement of recent laws limiting how race and inequality are taught and restricting campus protests.
Houston Public Media’s Bianca Seward, KTTZ Lubbock’s Brad Burt and The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey contributed to this story.