Nine Bay District Schools employees under investigation for comments about Charlie Kirk
PANAMA CITY — Bay District Schools announced that nine of its employees are under investigation because of comments they made about the late Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was shot and killed on the Utah Valley University campus while debating students on Sept. 10. His death continues to make headlines, drawing both mourning and controversy.
Bay County recently held a tribute to Kirk with significant attendance. Residents on Facebook are not taking kindly to less-than-empathetic remarks about his death or legacy.
Bay District Schools has not released details on what was said or by whom, only stating that the matter is under review.
"Educators are held to a higher standard of ethics and are expected to serve as role models for students both in and out of the classroom," said BDS in a media statement. "We remain firmly committed to upholding professional standards and conduct of our employees within our schools."
The News Herald reached out to Tho Bishop, chairman of the Bay County Republican Party of Florida, for comment. He said the official response from the Bay County GOP on the investigation was: "Good."
Beverly Waldrip, a spokesperson for the Democratic Women's Club of Bay County, responded by emphasizing the importance of the First Amendment and the value of free speech.
The Bay County chapter of Mom's for Liberty, a conservative parental-rights group, is pleased with the school district's action.
"Such behavior is wholly unacceptable, especially from educators entrusted with our children," said April Gibson, chapter chair for the organization. "We fully support the suspensions and advocate for their immediate termination."
"Any teacher who celebrates murder has no business being near our children," said Gibson. "We appreciate BDS and (Superintendent Mark McQueen’s) swift action in this matter."
Across the country, there has been backlash to comments about Kirk's death. People have been let go from jobs, including those in entertainment and media, for remarks that are critical or comedic in nature.Teachers already have been suspended or fired over their online statements in over a dozen states.
The fallout has raised concerns about free speech, with President Donald Trump suggesting TV networks should have their broadcasting licenses revoked.
Vice President JD Vance, while guest-hosting the Charlie Kirk Show, asked conservatives to call the employers of people who make negative remarks about Kirk. Vance said that those on the left are more likely to "defend and celebrate political violence."
"Call them out, and hell, call their employer," said Vance in the video. "We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility."
This position has faced criticism, as some say it contradicts Kirk's own opinions on free speech and cancel culture.
"Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There's ugly speech. There's gross speech. There's evil speech," wrote Kirk to X in 2024. "And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment. Keep America free."
In the world of local Facebook, some have taken Vance's stance. A group called "Bay County Leftists" was briefly up, where they were sharing photos of people and their names.