COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/WCSC) – South Carolina State Superintendent Ellen Weaver issued a memo clarifying what is defined as “unprofessional educator conduct” in the wake of the killing of Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was the conservative political activist who was shot to death while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
In the memo to district superintendents on Tuesday, Weaver wrote that public comments by some educators about Kirk were a type of “dehumanizing behavior [that] has no place in South Carolina public schools.”
“Parents have committed the educational formation of their children to our schools, and they have every right to expect that all educators will honor that trust by modeling civility, respect, and good judgment. Anyone who celebrates or condones murder or political violence should be disqualified from teaching or working with children,” she wrote.
Weaver encouraged superintendents to investigate reports of similar posts in accordance with local policies and the state’s standards of professional conduct.
She also echoed sentiments from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who recently wrote that state law protects school districts that terminate employees for misconduct.
“Teachers carry a weighty responsibility to convey both knowledge and character to their students. The few who fail to uphold reasonable expectations of professional conduct dishonor the service of their peers and breach the trust our parents and communities place in our schools,“ Weaver wrote. ”By addressing these issues swiftly and responsibly, we hold forth the highest example of excellence, integrity, and human decency that our impressionable students deserve to see modeled by the adults they look up to.”
The memo states that the state Department of Education has clarified with Wilson’s office that the law applies to all public employees, including K-12 teachers.
Weaver’s memo came as three Clemson University employees and one Coastal Carolina University employee were dismissed after an investigation into social media posts regarding Kirk.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the shooting a political assassination.
