The recent assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk has sparked a series of teacher removals and school district investigations in Oklahoma. According to a statement from the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), in just one week since the incident, the state has received hundreds of reports through the Awareity platform, which tracks inappropriate remarks and conducts related to school environments.
Having sifted through 224 Awareity reports of defamatory comments about Kirk's death, the OSDE has identified 70 teachers from 44 districts who purportedly engaged in such discourse. The reports come along with 30 alerts of schools not observing a moment of silence and three instances where schools allegedly refused to lower their flags to half-staff. These actions, or lack thereof, have earmarked 12 districts for further scrutiny, all while mourning the man many revered for his staunch support of free speech.
The OSDE has taken swift action in line with Superintendent Walters' directives, insisting on adherence to a strict code of conduct. "Any teacher posting defamatory and egregious comments will NOT be teaching in Oklahoma classrooms," Walters said, underscoring the state's stance on propriety amongst educators. Moreover, schools that sidestepped the protocol of respect for Kirk are also finding themselves in hot water with investigations launched to examine these allegations.
In a robust effort to scale back what it deems political indoctrination, the Oklahoma educational authority is making it clear where they stand: "In Oklahoma, we will continue to put students before political indoctrination agendas," as Walters' office stated.
