TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida Department of Education sent a letter to state educators Thursday warning them that they will be held accountable for any “despicable comments” made online regarding Charlie Kirk’s death.
Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas wrote in the letter dated Thursday, Sept. 11 that some social media posts of that nature had been brought to his attention. Though, he said, the posts are not a reflection of “the vast majority of Florida’s educators.”
“Nevertheless, I will be conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior,” his letter stated.
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Kirk, a well-known conservative media figure, died Wednesday, Sept. 10, after being shot in the neck while answering questions at an “American Comeback Tour” event. Multiple people have come under scrutiny for comments made after the shooting, including Matthew Dowd, a political operative and contributor to MSNBC, who was fired by the network.
Grief, anger and disagreements have boiled over on social media.
“People have become very emotional about it. And, as social media does tend to encourage people to do, their filters come off at some point,” said First Amendment attorney Alison Steele. “But that’s what the First Amendment protects, is that marketplace of ideas.”
Steele said people may not like what’s being said, but the law protects it to an extent.
Some government leaders have chimed in on the social media posts, wanting to put a stop to them. The Deputy Secretary of the United States posted on social media about plans to take action against foreigners who he said “glorified violence and hatred.”
“I see an entirely different legal issue coming into play there with respect to discriminating against people, not just because of what viewpoint they describe, but special discrimination because of their place of origin or their nationality or their race,” Steele said. “The Constitution doesn’t tolerate that sort of targeting or that sort of broad and discriminatory prohibition.”
Kamoutsas said his letter was intended to remind school district superintendents and their employees that they “are held to a higher standard as public servants.” He added that “an educator’s personal views that are made public may undermine the trust of the students and families that they serve.”
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The letter also states that any educator who is found to have violated ethical guidelines or rules established in the Florida Administrative Code could be disciplined. This could include sanctioning an educator’s certificate.
Right now, two schools in the Tampa Bay area could be investigated by the department. In posts on Facebook, Starkey Elementary School in Pinellas County said school leaders are “handling the matter.” The Lakeland Institute for Learning also made a post saying a teacher is no longer employed there.
Though NewsNation affiliate WFLA can’t share them, we read the comments officials said were posted by staff members to Steele.
“I didn’t hear in it the advocate or advocating that, you know, something like, ‘one down, however many to go,’ encouraging other people to engage in violence. But those are pretty strongly worded statements with respect to a person who, I believe it’s fair to say, was a divisive political figure in this country,” Steele said.
Kamoutsas’s letter was sent to school district superintendents and intended to be shared with district employees.
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Kamoutsas concluded the letter with one sentence, writing, “Govern yourselves accordingly.”
Some argue the country has to find a way to condemn both political violence and all divisive and hateful rhetoric that flourishes on social media.
“That kind of speech, it can incite other acts of violence,” Steele said.
The Florida Education Association released the following statement:
“We want to take a moment to address what we have seen on social media today. Everyone deserves the right to be safe in their communities- whether that’s at home, in their schools or on college campuses. The union is here to support the rights of every educator across the state and we will not stand quiet while educators are tried in the court of public opinion instead of receiving the due process they deserve. Allowing threats and threatening those in our public school communities is counterproductive. As a union, we have always, and will always, stand for bringing people together. Now is the time to unite for safer, stronger communities for every American.”
