Leofric Thomas Jr., a Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) employee and city council appointee, has left his position at the JPEF following social media comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The posts led to calls for his removal from his appointed role on the Public Service Grant Council.
First Coast News reported that screenshots of Thomas Jr.'s posts circulated online, including one stating, "You reap what you sow...," and another on X reading, "When you spew hate, it's what you get back. Charlie spewed nothing but hate, so what he got back, was..... yeah," followed by a shrug emoji.
Thomas Jr. learned of his departure from the JPEF in a conversation with Action News Jax. The JPEF stated that the comments were inconsistent with the organization’s values and code of conduct.
Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico called for action to remove Thomas from his council-appointed role, a motion supported by other council members. Mayor Donna Deegan also addressed the issue, urging reduction of hateful discourse while noting that the council would make the decision, according to News4JAX.
Thomas Jr. told News4JAX that his remarks were taken out of context and that he does not condone violence, explaining his intent was to critique Kirk's past statements.
