Photo: Peter Dazeley / The Image Bank / Getty Images
Hillsborough County, FL - Hillsborough County Public Schools investigated social media posts from 17 employees following the September 10th assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
None of the investigations led to job terminations.
Most employees were either spoken to or issued a letter of direction, which documents a complaint but does not appear in an employee’s permanent record.
One employee received a verbal reprimand.
All cases were reviewed by the district’s Office of Professional Standards.
District spokesperson Tanya Arja said the initial posts and letters of direction were not immediately available.
Hear Ryan Gorman and Dana McKay cover this story and more on The Ryan Gorman Show:
A representative for the local teachers union confirmed that letters of direction are used for documentation purposes but do not affect long-term employment records.
The investigations followed statements from Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas condemning what he described as “vile, sanctionable behavior” and “despicable comments” by some teachers after Kirk was shot and killed.
Kamoutsas noted that school officials have the authority to discipline educators for conduct that undermines their effectiveness.
Similar reviews are occurring in other Florida counties. In Lee County, three teachers are expected to be terminated over social media posts.
Pasco and Pinellas counties have also opened investigations following the creation of a portal by the state attorney general’s office for the public to report inappropriate posts.
No updates from those counties were immediately available.
The investigations are part of a broader effort to monitor professional conduct among educators after high-profile incidents.