The Oglethorpe Echo
An Oglethorpe County High School teacher has been removed from the classroom while the school system investigates a social media post made in the wake of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s death last week.
Superintendent Beverley Levine said in an emailed statement to The Oglethorpe Echo on Tuesday that the teacher in question “is not currently in the classroom.” OCHS Principal Bill Sampson deferred questions to Levine.
The post on X, formerly known as Twitter, was made on Friday, according to screenshots shared on Facebook, two days after Kirk was shot and killed while speaking to a gathering at Utah Valley University.
The original post appears to have been deleted.
Levine said the school system sent this statement to parents on Tuesday afternoon.
“The Oglethorpe County School System opposes all acts of violence in the strongest possible terms. The taking of a life is never acceptable. While the school system recognizes and supports the individual rights of employees and students, including the right to free speech, those rights must be carefully balanced with our responsibility to provide a safe and effective educational environment and to maintain the orderly operation of our schools.
“In periods of heightened political tension, the district remains steadfast in its primary mission: delivering the highest quality education to the students of Oglethorpe County. We respectfully request the continued support of our community as we work to fulfill our mission of Excellence for Every Student Every Day!”
Media outlets have reported that people in various industries around the country have been fired for making comments on social media about Kirk’s death.