Florida Education Commissioner Investigates Teachers Over Charlie Kirk Assassination Comments

Florida's Commissioner of Education, Anastasios Kamoutsas, has issued a statewide memorandum warning teachers that they will be investigated and potentially sanctioned for making "despicable" social media comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This directive follows several incidents, including the suspension of an elementary school teacher in Clay County who made a coarse comment about Kirk's death, and the resignation of a senior officer at Miami Country Day School over similar remarks. Kamoutsas emphasized that while educators have First Amendment rights, these do not extend without limit into their professional duties, as public expressions that undermine trust with students and families violate ethical guidelines and could lead to sanctions, including loss of teaching certification. Governor Ron DeSantis supported the commissioner’s actions, condemning the celebration of Kirk's assassination by teachers as "completely unacceptable." The memo reminds superintendents to share this message with all district employees and to hold educators to a higher standard as public servants. School districts involved have stated they are taking the incidents seriously and are reviewing the matters according to district policies.