The divisive right-wing figure and ally to President Donald Trump was shot in the neck at a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Instantaneously, social media feeds were flooded with jarring videos of the shooting, as well as hot takes about the controversial figure known for anti-LBGTQ+ rhetoric and disavowing stricter gun laws, among other common conservative beliefs.
Many Republican leaders remember Kirk as a “hero” and a model for the American ideal of free speech. In the days following Kirk's death, conservative lawmakers have condemned critics who posthumously critiqued Kirk, with a hyperconcentration on collegiate educators and campuses.
Over the weekend, an anonymously run website called Expose Charlie’s Murderers, cataloging people who relished in Kirk’s death on platforms, launched, claiming to have received over 30,000 responses. The website homepage said the responses would soon be filterable by location and job occupation.
“This is a permanent and continuously-updating archive of Radical activists calling for violence,” read the front page.
The website currently leads to an error page.
Others have joined in the efforts to index who is saying what, placing an extra-strong magnifying glass on teachers. Citizen efforts to hunt down Kirk critics have been joined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which announced an official investigation into educators' social media behaviors.They are the ones poisoning the minds of our children https://t.co/Qc7mk1y5kS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 13, 2025
"TEA has been made aware of some Texas public school educators that have posted and/or shared reprehensible and inappropriate content on social media related to the assassination of Charlie Kirk,” Commissioner Mike Morath wrote in a statement. “... Such posts could constitute a violation of the Educators' Code of Ethics, and each instance will be thoroughly reviewed to determine whether sanctionable conduct has occurred and staff will investigate accordingly."
Texas lawmakers are now calling for the firing of public school teachers. Earlier this month, Republicans celebrated the dismissal of a Texas A&M professor who included inclusive lesson plans in her coursework on children's literature, after a Twitter smear campaign led by Rep. Brian Harrison proved effective.
The Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers released a statement about the social media manhunt of teachers, with a particular focus on the TEA.‼️This “teacher” must be FIRED IMMEDIATELY‼️
— Briscoe Cain (@BriscoeCain) September 11, 2025
Jennifer Courtmanche teaches English at Lee High School in Baytown (Goose Creek ISD).
Ms. Courtemanche has no business in the classroom.
She is celebrating the news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
This tragedy shows how unhinged… pic.twitter.com/JjAZDcHdLw
“What started with lawmakers weaponizing their platforms against civil servants has morphed into a statewide directive to hunt down and fire educators for opinions shared on their personal social media accounts," said Zeph Capo, president of Texas AFT, in a press release. "...It’s no surprise that, here in Texas, the purge of civil servants starts with teachers. If you value your freedom, now is the time to speak up and defend the rights of all Texans to exercise their constitutional right to have an opinion on matters of civil discourse.”
A slew of firings began after MSNBC dismissed political analyst Matthew Dowd for comments he made on-air about the shooting and Kirk’s position on gun violence.
"You can't stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place," Dowd said.
The Texas government is systemizing the oversight of university free speech with a newly announced Senate and House Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education.
"Charlie dedicated his life to open, respectful dialogue with those he disagreed with, and that approach is something we should all celebrate and fight to protect," Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows said in a joint statement with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. "This committee will help identify ways to better protect the fundamental right of free speech on our campuses, including measures to ensure political gatherings are safe and secure, and its recommendations will guide the Legislature’s policy decisions moving forward.”
Higher education institutions and public schools have begun releasing statements about the conduct of their faculty, serving as a warning statement and a reminder of social media policies for teachers.
Not too far from home, the Lake Dallas Independent School District terminated an employee at Corinth Elementary School for “celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk,” according to a Facebook post from a member of the school’s Parent Teacher Association.
“Not only was she fired, but she is now listed as a dangerous threat to campus and not allowed on property moving forward. Her child, who started Pre-K this year, was also kicked out of school," reads the post from Corinth Elementary mom Ashlee Worden.
In an email to the Observer, a spokesperson for Lake Dallas ISD clarified that Grubbs was not a teacher, though she was employed by the district and has been dismissed.
"The District expects all employees to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and conduct—both in and outside of school—consistent with state law, the Texas Educator Code of Ethics, local board policies, and our employee handbook," the spokesperson said.
