A former Miamisburg band director who was disciplined over a Facebook post about Charlie Kirk is now suing the school district. Steven Aylward's lawsuit stems from comments he made following Kirk's fatal shooting.
The lawsuit centers on the district's response to Aylward's post and the discipline that followed, according to the Dayton Daily News.
The dispute traces back to Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting. Aylward made social media comments about Kirk’s death.
Social Media Comments
The controversy involved social media comments about Kirk’s death.
Aylward and another teacher, Rachael O'Connor, were offered a last-chance agreement; Aylward lost 20 days of pay under its terms.
Board Votes to Keep Him, But He Resigns Months Later
The Miamisburg Board of Education ultimately voted unanimously not to terminate either teacher, according to Dayton 24/7 Now, and Aylward kept his job in October 2025. He resigned from the district on July 1, according to the lawsuit, which states his departure stemmed directly from the events surrounding the Facebook post.
The lawsuit concerns the fallout from the episode. The district's attorney, Ray Freudiger, previously denied in an Aug. 31 letter that the district violated Aylward's constitutional rights, and that letter alleged administrators had counseled Aylward on his social media use before the disciplinary action and that he had previously posted disparaging comments about a former student.
District Says It Will Fight the Claim
The Miamisburg City School District said it does not believe the lawsuit has any merit and has forwarded the matter to its defense counsel. The Dayton Daily News reported it received no response from Ford after seeking comment for its story.
Aylward's case lands amid a broader national reckoning over how school districts can discipline employees for political speech tied to Kirk's killing. In Texas, more than 350 educators faced investigation over social media posts about the assassination, with some fired, suspended or formally reprimanded, according to GovFacts. The Texas American Federation of Teachers later sued Education Commissioner Mike Morath and the Texas Education Agency, arguing officials retaliated against educators for expressing political opinions as private citizens, while Morath has said there is a difference between comments made in poor taste and those that call for or incite further violence.
