‘Unwelcome scrutiny’: Charlie Kirk death comment leads KY school district to act
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- Floyd County Schools initiated personnel action after employee’s online comments.
- District cited disruption and negative impact on integrity as grounds for action.
- Superintendent affirmed employee speech rights but emphasized professional conduct.
Floyd County Schools officials are taking undisclosed action against an employee who made social media posts regarding the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, Superintendent Tonya Horne-Williams said Monday.
District spokesperson Bobby Akers clarified Tuesday that the employee is a teacher.
Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 by a gunman while speaking at an event on the Utah Valley University campus. There have been various reports of employees across the U.S. being disciplined for making disparaging online comments in the aftermath of Kirk’s death.
That includes in Lexington, where the University of Kentucky is investigating one of its employees after he made an offensive comment about the death of Kirk.
In Floyd County, Horne-Williams said in a news release that a district employees’ “posts have brought significant and unwelcome scrutiny to the district.“
She did not include the comments in question in the news release. She also did not immediately respond to an email from the Herald-Leader asking if the employee had been placed on leave.
“While we respect the rights of individuals to express themselves, all employees of Floyd County Schools are held to a high standard of professionalism, both in and out of the workplace,” Horne-Williams said.
“When personal conduct outside of the school environment creates disruption or negatively impacts the integrity of our schools, we are obligated to act in accordance with district policies and state guidelines.”
Horne-Williams added: “We believe that all life is precious, and we value the importance of listening to the voices of our community and stakeholders. Floyd County Schools is committed to ensuring that our schools remain safe, respectful, and inclusive environments where every student and staff member feels supported,” she said.
“ Due to the nature of the situation, which involves personnel matters, the district is unable to provide additional details.”
The situation, she said, is being addressed “through established personnel procedures, as outlined by Floyd County Schools policy and the Kentucky Department of Education’s Code of Ethics for Certified School Personnel. “
Horne-Williams said because the matter was a confidential personnel issue, no further statements will be made by the district at this time.
Kentucky Department of Education spokesperson Jennifer Ginn said Tuesday, “We haven’t heard of any personnel actions related to Charlie Kirk posts.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 9:12 PM.