Judge declines to halt probe into Iowa teachers’ posts after Charlie Kirk’s assassination

A national justice has declined to halt disciplinary proceedings against 2 Iowa teachers implicit societal media posts they made pursuing the assassination of blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk, portion describing the surrounding circumstances arsenic "deeply troubling."

Katherine Mejia and Jennifer Smith filed a suit against the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) and its enforcement director, Michael Cavin, arguing that the authorities licensing authorization violated their First Amendment rights by investigating their posts successful the contiguous aftermath of Kirk’s death.

Chief Judge Stephanie Rose of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa denied the teachers’ petition for a impermanent restraining bid and preliminary injunction, ruling that national courts mostly should not interfere with ongoing authorities enforcement proceedings. She said the teachers whitethorn rise their law arguments during the board’s disciplinary process and successful Iowa’s authorities courts if necessary.

Rose wrote that nonrecreational licensing investigations suffice arsenic "quasi-criminal" enforcement proceedings nether national precedent, meaning national courts indispensable abstain portion the authorities process plays out. The committee had already assigned investigators and opened ceremonial cases against some teachers, placing the substance squarely wrong that doctrine.

Charlie Kirk speaks astatine Utah Valley University connected Sept. 10, 2025 successful Orem, Utah, anterior to his assassination. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

Rose emphasized that her determination did not find whether the board’s actions violated the First Amendment.

The justice dismissed the teachers’ claims for injunctive and declaratory alleviation without prejudice, allowing them to instrumentality to national tribunal aft the authorities proceedings reason if necessary. Their claims for monetary damages against Cavin successful his idiosyncratic capableness were stayed pending the result of the board’s process.

"The timing, the statewide reach, and the viewpoint-specific framing of the missive contiguous a representation that is, astatine minimum, profoundly troubling," Rose wrote. "A licensing authority’s enforcement apparatus should not beryllium mobilized successful effect to governmental unit to suppress disfavored commentary connected a nationalist figure’s decease — and this grounds raises superior questions astir whether that is precisely what occurred here."

Kyle Rittenhouse, right, is introduced to a cheering assemblage by Charlie Kirk, middle, laminitis of Turning Point USA, arsenic Jack Posobiec, left, big of Once America News Network, joins them connected signifier astatine a sheet treatment astatine the Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, successful Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin/The Associated Press)

According to the lawsuit, Mejia, a counsellor for the West Delaware Community School District, reposted commentary criticizing Kirk and different "right-wing extremist influencers," penning successful 1 Facebook post: "KIRK IS NEITHER A MARTYR NOR A HERO. HE IS A CAUSE!"

The suit alleges that Superintendent Jen Vance issued Mejia a missive of reprimand claiming she made the posts during enactment hours and instructing her to "exercise nonrecreational discretion erstwhile engaging successful immoderate online activity," contempt Mejia being connected district-approved permission astatine the time.

RHODE ISLAND TEACHER WHO CALLED CHARLIE KIRK 'PIECE OF GARBAGE' SET TO RETURN TO CLASSROOM AFTER SUSPENSION

The ailment further alleges that connected Sept. 19, 2025, Cavin sent a missive to schoolhouse superintendents crossed Iowa referencing educators’ comments astir Kirk’s assassination and stating that "administrators are encouraged to record a ailment with the board," portion identifying the circumstantial ethical regularisation nether which complaints could beryllium filed. According to the lawsuit, that missive prompted Vance to taxable a ailment to the BOEE.

In tribunal filings, attorneys for the committee argued that opening an probe does not represent subject and that Iowa has a important involvement successful enforcing nonrecreational standards for licensed educators.

Charlie Kirk speaks earlier helium is assassinated during Turning Point's sojourn to Utah Valley University successful Orem, Utah connected September 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)

Smith, a teacher successful the Johnston Community School District, allegedly posted connected Facebook the time aft Kirk’s assassination, quoting anterior remarks attributed to Kirk criticizing Martin Luther King Jr. and suggesting that yearly weapon deaths were a indispensable outgo of preserving Second Amendment rights.

According to the lawsuit, Smith besides wrote: "RIP you monster. I’m truthful definite your deity is good with the atrocious dispersed of hatred you completed portion present connected earth." The ailment states that she aboriginal deleted the station aft receiving a telephone from quality resources indicating a schoolhouse committee subordinate had received a complaint.

The suit alleges that Johnston Superintendent Nikki Roorda aboriginal filed a ailment with the BOEE pursuing Cavin’s letter.

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Mejia and Smith are seeking to forestall the committee from pursuing disciplinary enactment against them, arguing that their posts constituted protected governmental code connected matters of nationalist concern. In tribunal filings, they warned that adjacent a probable origin uncovering could go portion of their nationalist licensure grounds and perchance impact their employment nether Iowa law.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to defence counsel for the BOEE and plaintiffs seeking comment. 

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