Authored by T.J. Muscaro via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Florida’s Department of Education announced on Sept. 11 that it will look into public school teachers who, on social media, celebrated or justified the assassination of Turning Point USA CEO and founder Charlie Kirk.
Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas sent a letter to school district superintendents telling them that he would be investigating after it was brought to his attention that some educators had posted “despicable comments on social media regarding the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
“These few are not a reflection of the great, high-quality teachers who make up the vast majority of Florida’s educators,” he wrote.
“Nevertheless, I will be conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior.”
Florida’s Department of Education told The Epoch Times in an email that the commissioner was prepared to use all of his power to hold educators responsible if the investigation proves they should not be in a classroom based on their behavior.
That power includes revoking their educator certificate.
“Although educators have First Amendment rights, these rights do not extend without limit into their professional duties,” Kamoutsas said.
“An educator’s personal views that are made public may undermine the trust of the students and families that they serve.”
The commissioner cited Rule 6A-10.081 of the Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), titled “Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida,” which holds the state’s certified educators to a set of ethical guidelines.
Kamoutsas said that a teacher could violate that rule if his or her conduct “causes a student or his or her family to feel unwelcome or unwilling to participate in the learning environment.”
He also cited sections of two Florida statutes that authorized the commissioner to discipline and sanction the certificate of an educator who “upon investigation, has been found guilty of personal conduct that seriously reduces that person’s effectiveness as an employee of the district school board.”
“Teachers are held to a higher standard as public servants and must ensure their conduct does not undermine the trust of the students and families they serve,” the commissioner said on X.
“We will hold teachers who choose to make disgusting comments about the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk accountable. Govern yourselves accordingly.”
The official action came after several voices across social media were raised to flag and speak out against people justifying or even cheering the assassination of the conservative influencer.
The social media app BlueSky was required to speak out against some of its users’ comments.
“Glorifying violence or harm violates Bluesky’s Community Guidelines,” the company said. “We review reports and take action on content that celebrates harm against anyone.
“Violence has no place in healthy public discourse, and we’re committed to fostering healthy, open conversations.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis praised Kamoutsas’s actions to hold the state’s teachers accountable.
“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,” he said.
Since that announcement, several people began posting screenshots on X of teachers they caught publicly celebrating the assassination, and tagging Florida leaders and the respective school districts.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), an organization known for defending First Amendment rights on school campuses across the country, to get its take on this move by the Sunshine State.
Senior Program Counsel Stephanie Jablonsky told The Epoch Times in an email on Sept. 12 that while public school teachers retain their First Amendment right to speak as private citizens on matters of public concern, they do not have unlimited protection. However, the actions could be seen as unconstitutional if termination of employment is solely based on the disapproval of a person’s opinion.
“If their off-the-clock speech genuinely undermines their ability to perform their duties or causes serious disruption in the workplace, discipline might be justified,” she said. ”But punishment based solely on disapproval of an employee’s private views is generally unconstitutional, and that’s what seems to be driving a spate of employment investigations and punishments in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s tragic murder.
“The assassination of Kirk as he spoke with students on a college campus was a shocking betrayal of our national commitment to free speech and open debate,” she added. ”Now’s the time to redouble our commitment to those fundamental values, not erode them by punishing people for their personal views.
“Free speech means protecting even the speech one finds repugnant.”
Florida was named No. 1 in education freedom for the fourth year in a row by the conservative Heritage Foundation on Sept. 9.
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