ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY
Official documents related to the Texas Education Agency’s efforts to police social media posts and statements by school district employees in the state has provided some insight into the investigations that followed the shooting of Charlie Kirk in September.
The Concho Observer requested emails and correspondence in conjunction with any of these inquiries from several area school districts, and, to date, only Midland Independent School District has provided any documentation.
Our initial public information request to the Texas Education Agency revealed five complaints related to comments made by San Angelo ISD employees in emails, chats, or social media posts related to Kirk’s murder.
The TEA provided a list of complaints, and the districts they related to, but did not provide any further information regarding the complaints, or if they are being investigated.
Complaints about teachers in other West Texas districts included:
- Ector County ISD — 8
- El Paso ISD — 3
- IDEA Public (Charter) Schools — 3
- Lubbock ISD — 3
- Socorro ISD — 2
- Wylie ISD — 6
To date, at least 10 teachers and school employees have been fired or resigned following investigations into the 350-plus reported instances of policy violations. Most, reportedly, because they refused to apologize, electing to stand by their statements.
Two Wylie ISD employees resigned on Sept. 12; an elementary school teacher and a junior high band director, while Ector County ISD reported “One employee, a part-time tutor, will no longer work for ECISD, and a second is on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation,” two days later.
According to Midland ISD records, nine employees were investigated, with several reprimands and one-day suspensions with pay resulting, along with termination for one educator and one transportation director.
The teachers and their defenders claim they were simply exercising their right to free speech.
While the majority of the documents Midland ISD provided were redacted to the point of uselessness, the social media messages that were visible seem pretty innocuous, considering the controversial nature of Charlie Kirks polarizing messaging.
Visible images were not consistent with the official narrative that the investigations were meant to check “celebratory” attitudes about the murder of political agitator and podcaster Charlie Kirk.
Statements
No Investigations into Inappropriate Conservative Comments
Critics of the TEA’s actions have pointed out the agency has seen no need to initiate any similar investigations into instances of violence being celebrated by “conservative” leaders and reposted by thousands of teachers in Texas.
Straining Limited School Resources
As of early 2026, the TEA had received notifications from about 100 districts related to the Kirk shooting.
According to original reporting from The Texas Tribune, most complaints have been resolved.
Texas’ American Federation of Teachers, a major Texas teachers’ union sued the agency, arguing the probe constitute overreach, infringing on the teachers’ rights.
Black Folks Better Keep Quiet About Hating Racism
Midland Independent School District board voted unanimously in September to terminate two black employees for their statements about the Kirk shooting, despite the fact that the young activist has publicly repeated a wide range of disparaging remarks about black people for years.
Verifiably.
According to school district records, Midland High English teacher Lynette Fields was fired for cause after it was reported that she made comments in the classroom about Kirk’s shooting.
According to MISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Howard, Fields told students that Kirk “deserved what he got,” and stated that she intended to celebrate his death.
According to reports, MISD Board President Brandon Hodges said he was particularly incensed by Fields making her comments in a classroom.
“While we respect free speech and acknowledge that teachers are entitled to their opinions, it is crucial that such freedoms are exercised responsibly in a classroom setting filled with students who have not yet reached the age of majority,” Hodges said.
Also terminated as a result of investigations, Issac Johnson, who was listed as the director of transportation on Midland ISD’s website.
According to a social media post on Midland ISD’s Facebook page, Johnson is a U.S. Army veteran who served in multiple conflicts and rose to the rank of sergeant first class, earning a Bronze Star medal along the way.
Congressional Black Caucus Statement
September 19, 2025
Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:
“Violence has no place in our politics, whether it is the murder of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman, the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, or the killing of Charlie Kirk. We must unequivocally reject violence in all its forms. Too many times in our nation’s history, political differences have turned to violence – violence that our community, in particular, knows too well from the assassinations of Black leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medger Evers, and Fred Hampton, among others.
“At the same time, we must condemn violence without abandoning our right to speak out against ideas that are inconsistent with our values as Americans. We strongly disagree with many of the beliefs Charlie Kirk promoted: including his belief that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended racial segregation, was a mistake; his denial that systemic racism exists; his promotion of the Great Replacement theory; and his offensive claims about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Michelle Obama, and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee lacking adequate cognitive ability.
“The resolution introduced in the House to honor Charlie Kirk’s legacy is not about healing, lowering the temperature of our political discourse, or even ensuring the safety of members of Congress, staff, and Capitol personnel. It is, unfortunately, an attempt to legitimize Kirk’s worldview — a worldview that includes ideas many Americans find racist, harmful, and fundamentally un-American.
A link to Midland ISD’s employee handbook can be found here.
