TEA investigating educators' 'inappropriate' social media posts about Charlie Kirk
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Education Agency (TEA) said it's investigating educators' social media posts related to the assassination of Charlie Kirk that it considers "inappropriate," TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said in a letter to schools Friday.
"These educators' comments do not reflect the vast majority of Texas teachers who are dedicated practitioners that work diligently to serve the more than 5.5 million impressionable young minds in our classrooms," Morath said in the letter.
Kirk was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Morath went on in the letter to say that those posts "could constitute a violation of the Educators' Code of Ethics." He added each post "will be thoroughly reviewed and investigated."
"While the exercise of free speech is a fundamental right we are all blessed to share, it does not give carte blanche authority to celebrate or sow violence against those that share differing believes and perspectives," Morath said.
He added in the letter that anyone who sees the inappropriate content being shared should report it to the TEA's Misconduct Reporting Portal.
"Respect is a core tenet of what we teach and reinforce to our students, and together, we can ensure that such values continue to be reflected in our Texas public schools," Morath said.
Read the full letter from Morath, as provided by the TEA below: