The Florida Department of Education is vowing to investigate “every educator” celebrating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas said in a letter published on Thursday.
In a letter to the state’s school superintendents, Kamoutsas said that he will be “conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior.” NBC 8 out of Tampa first reported the commissioner’s letter. Kamoutsas noted that certain posts do not reflect the “vast majority” of teachers in Florida.
Kirk was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, last Wednesday afternoon. Police have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in the slaying, and he is currently being held without bail in the Utah County Jail. Prosecutors filed an aggravated murder charge on Tuesday against Robinson and will seek the death penalty.
“This memorandum serves to remind superintendents and their employees that they are held to a higher standard as public servants. Certified educators are also subject to the ethical guidelines established in Rule 6A-10.081, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida,” Kamoutsas said.
He added, “Although educators have First Amendment rights, these rights do not extend without limit into their professional duties. An educator’s personal views that are made public may undermine the trust of the students and families that they serve.”
Spectrum News reported on one Florida teacher who posted, “Thoughts and prayers right?! That’s all that is ever given to the thousands of women who have [had] preventable deaths due to lack of abortions and thousands of children who have died due to gun violence in our country!” adding, “Good riddance!”
The commissioner urged the state’s educators to use better judgment when representing the Florida school system. “Together, we must uphold the highest standards of professionalism and keep Florida’s classrooms places of safety and academic achievement for every student,” Kamoutsas said, adding, “Govern yourselves accordingly.”
Earlier in the week, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., urged Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to remove federal funding from taxpayer-funded institutions that fail to discipline employees who praised Kirk’s assassination.
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