Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Texas Over Teachers' Social Media Crackdown
A prominent teachers union in Texas has taken the state education agency to court, challenging what it describes as unconstitutional investigations into hundreds of educators who posted comments on social media following the conservative activist Charlie Kirk's killing. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) filed a federal lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency and its commissioner, Mike Morath, arguing that the agency's actions violate teachers' free speech protections.
The dispute centers around a September letter from Commissioner Morath instructing school superintendents to report educators who made what he deemed "reprehensible and inappropriate" remarks about Kirk. The AFT claims this directive has triggered a wave of disciplinary action against teachers, with four educators facing termination or formal investigations for making social media posts criticizing Kirk's views on issues like race and immigration.
The union argues that by posting personal opinions outside of work hours from their own accounts, the educators did not surrender their constitutional rights to free speech. The lawsuit cites cases in which educators were punished despite having made comments that were not disrupting school operations or affecting students.
As of Sunday, over 350 complaints about educators' social media activity related to Kirk's death had been received by the agency, with hundreds dismissed or deemed unsubstantiated. The AFT is seeking a court ruling that the investigation policy is unconstitutional and demanding an end to all related probes.
A prominent teachers union in Texas has taken the state education agency to court, challenging what it describes as unconstitutional investigations into hundreds of educators who posted comments on social media following the conservative activist Charlie Kirk's killing. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) filed a federal lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency and its commissioner, Mike Morath, arguing that the agency's actions violate teachers' free speech protections.
The dispute centers around a September letter from Commissioner Morath instructing school superintendents to report educators who made what he deemed "reprehensible and inappropriate" remarks about Kirk. The AFT claims this directive has triggered a wave of disciplinary action against teachers, with four educators facing termination or formal investigations for making social media posts criticizing Kirk's views on issues like race and immigration.
The union argues that by posting personal opinions outside of work hours from their own accounts, the educators did not surrender their constitutional rights to free speech. The lawsuit cites cases in which educators were punished despite having made comments that were not disrupting school operations or affecting students.
As of Sunday, over 350 complaints about educators' social media activity related to Kirk's death had been received by the agency, with hundreds dismissed or deemed unsubstantiated. The AFT is seeking a court ruling that the investigation policy is unconstitutional and demanding an end to all related probes.
so like what even is a "reprehensible" comment? did charlie kirk's fanboys actually think they could silence people with their precious politics? lol the af teachers are low-key winning this lawsuit and i'm here for it 
meanwhile, the gov is all like "oh we're just trying to keep schools safe" but really they're just trying to stifle free speech 
350 complaints and hundreds dismissed... sounds like someone's been watching too much conspiracy theory vids 
. I mean, come on, teachers can't even express their opinions on social media without getting investigated? What's next, are they gonna be watching our Netflix binges too? 
The whole thing just feels like a big overreach of power by the education agency. And what's with all these complaints being dismissed or deemed unsubstantiated? Sounds like some people are just trying to cover their own behinds 
. This is a clear case of government overreach and an attack on free speech, imo. We'll see how it all plays out in court, but I'm not holding my breath for a fair outcome 
.
Like, what even happened in Texas? You can't just get investigated for having a different opinion on social media?! 
It's like they're trying to chill the free speech of teachers. I mean, if you want to vent about politics after work, that's your prerogative! 
Just don't expect it to affect how you teach or anything. The fact that they're going after people who actually made a comment criticizing someone for being a "conservative activist"... 
comes across as super targeted and petty. I'm all for protecting students from harm, but this is just ridiculous. Can we please just have some common sense here? 
. if the state wants 2 control what educators say online, thats a slippery slope 
. we gotta protect free speech rights even when it's uncomfortable 
. and btw, why did kirk get so much attention anyway? wasnt he just another conservative guy with an opinion 
. lets not forget teachers r human beings too 
Can't we all just chill and agree to disagree without making it into a federal lawsuit? 
. I mean, I get that we gotta respect people's views, even if they're not ours, but shouldn't educators be able to express themselves without fear of getting fired or investigated? 
It seems like the state is overstepping its bounds by telling schools what constitutes "inappropriate" comments... 
. Anyway, I hope the court rules in favor of the teachers and puts a stop to this witch hunt 
. I mean, I get it, freedom of speech has its limits, but shouldn't teachers be able to express their own opinions on social media outside of work? It's not like they're posting from the principal's account or something 
. The fact that 4 educators are facing termination over this is just crazy 
. What's next? Getting in trouble for what you post on Instagram 
? It's all about balancing freedom with responsibility, but sometimes it feels like Texas is taking it a bit too far 
.
... but the law should protect teachers' rights, not stifle them 
. I'm all for free speech, especially when it comes to teachers, 'cause they're already dealing with so much stress and drama in the classroom 
I'm so worried about our teachers! They're already stressed out enough, and now they're being policed for their personal opinions online 
? It's like, they're just trying to express themselves as people outside of work... but I guess the state doesn't want them having any free time to think about anything other than teaching 
. If we're gonna have free speech, shouldn't teachers be allowed to have it too? I think it's pretty clear that this investigation policy is a thinly veiled attempt to silence educators who don't agree with certain views 
This is really worrying, especially when you think about all those teachers being bullied for just expressing their own thoughts on social media 
. The fact that over 350 complaints have been filed is insane and it's just gonna cause more stress for those teachers and their families 
. Can't we just respect each other's opinions without making a big deal out of it? 