School district officials in Midland and Odessa say two teachers and a tutor are facing employment consequences for making what the districts deemed to be inappropriate comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Ector County ISD said on Monday that a teacher had been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation, while a part-time tutor was set to be fired.
The district said in a statement both actions were taken in response to the employees’ social media posts about Kirk’s assassination.
In Midland, school district officials said Friday that a teacher had been similarly placed on administrative leave pending an investigation after comments about the killing that Midland ISD Board President Brandon Hodges said were made in a classroom.
“The MISD Board firmly opposes the introduction of celebrating murder and other violent controversial topics in the presence of our students, as this contradicts our policies aimed at maintaining a respectful educational environment,” Hodges said in a statement Friday.
Officials at both districts have not shared what exactly any of the employees said, nor have they identified the employees in question.
The actions come as teachers across the state face scrutiny over their remarks about the assassination.
The Texas Education Agency said Monday it was investigating at least 180 complaints about public school employees’ comments about Kirk after his death, according to the Houston Chronicle. Similar investigations are playing out at public schools across the U.S.
At Midland ISD, Superintendent Stephanie Howard said in a statement Friday that the teacher’s comments “do not reflect the values and beliefs of Midland ISD.”
“While employees have the right to express personal opinions on their own time, we expect all staff to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and to communicate respectfully both in person and online,” she said.
Similarly, Ector County ISD’s statement Monday acknowledged that employees “have the right to express their personal opinions and participate in public discourse on their own time,” but stressed the district expects employees to “refrain from vile and hateful comments about others or comments that advocate, endorse or glorify violence.”
Hodges, the Midland school board president, took particular issue with the fact that the teacher in question allegedly made the comments in a classroom.
“While we respect free speech and acknowledge that teachers are entitled to their opinions, it is crucial that such freedoms are exercised responsibly in a classroom setting filled with students who have not yet reached the age of majority,” he said.
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