A teachers’ association in a Democratic state has decided to permit school districts to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s murder following the suspension of educators for their insensitive remarks.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association stated that punishing members for positively reacting to the conservative’s passing would only ‘validate accusations by extremists’.
MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy addressed the controversy after reports that at least five state school employees made negative posts about Kirk, as reported by CBS News.
‘We insist that public school administrators and officials refrain from actions that validate accusations by extremists against educators,’ Page and McCarthy said in a joint statement Tuesday.
‘We urge administrators to consider the legal and contractual rights of union members and to give equal weight to justice, due process and caution.
‘The ongoing campaign by extreme-right conservatives to undermine and defund public education has grotesquely used Charlie Kirk’s shooting death to launch attacks against those commenting on his beliefs and statements,’ they added.
Josh Vadala, Superintendent at Peabody Public Schools, confirmed to the Boston Herald that two teachers from Peabody Veterans Memorial High School were put on leave over social media posts that allegedly violated ‘district policies and procedures’.
Meanwhile, a teacher from Farmingham school district who sang God Bless America as coverage of Kirk’s death rolled on TV was also reprimanded.
MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy (pictured together) of the Massachusetts Teachers Association are pushing to allow educators to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death
Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University as part of her ‘American Comeback Tour’ with his non-profit Turning Point USA
Officials in these districts, along with Sharon and Wachusett Regional, have not shared exact details of the posts, but condemned each of them for being inappropriate.
The posts were brought to leaders’ attention through concerned parents and online forums, the outlet reported.
The Daily Mail contacted the Massachusetts Teachers Association for comment.
Workers across the country have faced repercussions for making comments about Kirk following his brutal assassination at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Last week Ruth Marshall, an associate professor of religious studies and political science at the University of Toronto, was placed on leave for her vulgar comments.
Marshall said on her now-private X account that the ‘Shooting is honestly too good for so many of you fascist c**ts.’
Meanwhile, a New Jersey surgeon resigned after he said Kirk ‘had it coming’.
When the news of Kirk’s death broke, Lexi Kuenzle, a 33-year-old healthcare worker at Englewood Health, said that general surgeon Dr. Matthew Jung proclaimed: ‘I hate Charlie Kirk. He had it coming. He deserved it.’
Ruth Marshall, an associate professor of religious studies and political science at the University of Toronto, was placed on leave for her vulgar comments
After reporting Jung and posting about the incident on social media, Kuenzle said she was suspended without pay pending an investigation.
However, Englewood Health revealed on Monday that Jung quit his job and insisted that Kuenzle was ‘never fired’.
Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah was also fired from her position over a series of posts she wrote following Kirk’s death.
Attiah, 39, said she was sacked over the ‘unacceptable social media posts, including one that read: ‘Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.’
Another of the posts, on social media platform Bluesky, said: ‘Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is…. not the same as violence.’
The journalist revealed her firing in a lengthy post on Substack on Monday, which she titled ‘The Washington Post Fired Me — But My Voice Will Not Be Silenced.’
New Jersey surgeon Dr. Matthew Jung (left) said Kirk ‘had it coming.’ Lexi Kuenzle (right), a 33-year-old healthcare worker at Englewood Health, said she heard Jung make the foul comment
Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah was fired from her position over a series of posts she wrote following Kirk’s death
Kirk’s alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody following a days-long manhunt.
He made his first court appearance Tuesday evening, where he was seen showing a quick flash of emotion as officials filed to seek the death penalty.
Robinson looked at the floor and appeared dazed as he sat in court virtually from the Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork, Utah.
He spoke only once, to confirm his identity and sat stoically as the judge read the seven counts he faces – including the capital murder charge that could see him executed by firing squad.
He is also charged with felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Robinson was not represented by an attorney at the hearing, and Judge Tony Graf said that he found the alleged killer to be ‘indigent’, meaning he was not able to afford his own attorney and the state would provide him with one.
Graf ordered Robinson to be held without bail and scheduled his next court appearance, a waiver hearing, for September 29.
