Kirk was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Tyler Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder.
Since then, the school board of Pacheco Union School District in Redding voted to begin the termination process for a staff member who made a social media post about Kirk’s death.
In Oregon, a teacher’s aide is no longer employed by the Central Point School District. The Rogue Valley Times reported that the staff member had posted she felt no sympathy for Kirk, following his assassination.
At the Brookings-Harbor School District, High School Principal Tristin Harkins resigned after the district said an employee’s family member made a personal statement.
"These individual views do not represent the District, its values or its operations," the district said in a statement released a week after Kirk's death.
The district said there was “disturbing commentary circulating in the community” and “threatening language” directed toward the district and school leadership, but the district did not say whether it mentioned Kirk.
Kelly Simon, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, worries about school employees being punished over something they said.
"It is so imperative right now that our educational institutions, in particular, remain the pillars of free expression, of public debate, of open inquiry that they were intended to be," she said.
Pacheco Union and Brookings-Harbor School Districts did not respond to requests for comment.
"We are committed to ensuring that our classrooms and our entire school community remain a positive and secure place for all students to learn and grow," Pacheco Superintendent Jakob Fuller wrote in a statement to families. "The district does not condone violence in any form and is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all."
Central Point Superintendent Walt Davenport wrote in a statement to JPR, "We are unable to provide further detail regarding personnel matters."
"I want to assure you that we take matters such as this very seriously. The safety, well-being and trust of our students and community are our highest priorities," his statement reads.
Simon said she's concerned about the implications of school employees receiving pushback for their speech.
"At the end of the day, school districts must uphold their First Amendment obligations. They must remember that people do not forfeit their First Amendment rights when they are hired by the school and that public employees do enjoy some freedom to speak on matters of public concern in their private capacities," she said. "What I would hope to see from our schools is to really stay grounded in that careful First Amendment consideration and make sure that it's not fear or pressure or political opinion that is driving their decisions."
Meanwhile, the Grants Pass School Board recently voted to settle a lawsuit with two employees who were fired years ago over a video they posted online. In it, they discussed a series of proposals regarding transgender students’ pronouns, name changes and bathroom access at school.
On their website, they outlined proposals such as relabeling bathrooms as "anatomical male" and "anatomical female" and stipulating that students and staff should have the option to use preferred names and pronouns but not be required to do so.
