VDOE says teachers who posted ‘troubling’ social media comments about Charlie Kirk could lose teaching licenses

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction says teachers who posted controversial comments on social media following the murder of Charlie Kirk could lose their teaching licenses. 

Kirk, a conservative activist who was considered controversial by some for his views on LGBTQ rights and race, was murdered last week in Utah.

State Superintendent Emily Anne Gullickson said in a statement, “Anyone who would suggest the heinous murder of the father of two young children is acceptable should be disqualified from teaching or working with children again.” 

“It shows you what sort of people they are. It shows you what sort of judgment they have,” Senator Glen Sturtevant (R- Colonial Heights) told 8News. 

Gullickson said local school divisions should investigate the posts to see if teachers violated their local school divisions’ standards of professional conduct. If so, Gullickson said those teachers should be referred to the Virginia Board of Education for “licensure revocation,” something Sturtevant supports. 

“This is what they posted publicly on social media. Imagine what they are doing to influence our kids behind closed doors when there aren’t other adults in the room,” Sturtevant said.

However, Carol Bauer, President of the Virginia Education Association (VEA), said while they condemn violence and any loss of life, teachers still have a First Amendment right to participate in political discourse. 

“We’d also agree that educators should model professionalism, but we cannot support any blanket condemnation that fails to distinguish between private personal expression and professional conduct,” Bauer told 8News. 

Bauer added that schools should investigate the context behind certain social media posts, and any punishments should be “proportionate and fair.” 

“Investigations should be made so that someone does not have their license revoked for something that maybe was taken out of context,” Bauer said.

Bauer said the VEA advises teachers that if they are going to post on social media, they should consider the impacts of their words and remember that posts can be taken out of context.