Multiple public school teachers and at least one federal educator drew scrutiny, investigations or dismissal after social media posts that appeared to celebrate the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials and local media reported Thursday.
The posts — many of which were deleted after they drew widespread attention — included messages and videos that critics called celebratory or violent. School districts in several states said they were reviewing or had already taken action, and state officials in Florida warned that teachers who posted "vile, sanctionable" content related to Kirk's death would face discipline.
The social media posts, preserved and amplified by accounts including Libs of TikTok and reported by the New York Post, named several educators. In Framingham, Massachusetts, a video attributed to a special education teacher, Samantha Marengo, showed the woman singing "God Bless America" in front of a television news report about Kirk's slaying, the preservation account said. A now-deleted Facebook image attributed to a Department of Defense Education Activity teacher at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, identified as Kristen Eve, included language saying Kirk was "a garbage human being" and warning that change might require violence. The posts were not independently verified by school officials quoted in initial reporting; several educators did not respond to requests for comment.
Greenville County Schools in South Carolina confirmed it fired a social studies teacher, Wynne Boliek, after he posted on Instagram that "America became better today" in apparent reference to Kirk's killing. Oskaloosa High School in Iowa said it was "taking steps consistent with district policy" after a post attributed to an art teacher, Matthew Kargol, used the phrase "1 Nazi down." Pasadena Independent School District in Texas condemned posts attributed to a biology teacher, Joshua Baker, who wrote, "1 down. Now get the rest of these fools," according to local reporting.
Other teachers alleged to have posted included an educator at Robert E. Lee High in Baytown, Texas, and a teacher at St. Josaphat Catholic School in Chicago. Several of the posts were removed after they were shared widely online.
The social media backlash came after Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday while speaking at an outdoor event in Utah. Officials said he died of a single gunshot wound to the neck. The shooter fled the scene, and by Thursday the FBI had released images of a suspect described as appearing to be college age and asked for public assistance in locating him.
FBI spokeswoman statements released to news outlets did not immediately link the suspect to any particular motive. Law enforcement officials cautioned that postings on social media do not establish involvement in the shooting and asked that the investigation proceed without speculation.
School districts that confirmed action, including the termination in Greenville, said they based decisions on district policies governing employee conduct and social media use. Other districts said they were still assessing the posts and would respond according to their procedures.
Florida officials issued a statewide warning to educators, saying they would pursue disciplinary measures for staff who engaged in what the state called "vile, sanctionable" behavior directly related to Kirk's death. In some districts, superintendents sent messages to families stressing that schools do not tolerate hateful or violent rhetoric.
Advocates on both sides of the political spectrum have for years debated the role of public expression by educators, especially when it crosses into political content or uses violent language. The episode follows heightened tensions nationwide over political polarization in schools and public institutions.
Several school employees' accounts were quickly deleted after their posts were called out online, and in some cases their employers said they had launched reviews. Districts have emphasized that investigations must determine whether posts violated professional standards or district policy and whether they can be directly tied to the employees named.
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA in his late teens and rose to prominence as a campus organizer and conservative commentator, drew both strong support and sharp criticism for his activities. His death prompted immediate law enforcement action at the scene in Utah and a continuing federal investigation. Law enforcement officials asked anyone with information about the shooting or the person pictured by the FBI to contact the bureau.
The social media posts and the reactions they provoked illustrate the rapid amplification and mobilization of public response in the aftermath of politically charged violence. Districts and state officials said they would weigh disciplinary steps against educators while law enforcement continued its probe into the killing.
