SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) – A South Carolina teacher aide has filed a federal lawsuit after she was allegedly fired over a social media post made on Charlie Kirk’s death.
According to the lawsuit, Lauren Vaughn, a former teacher assistant at River Ridge Elementary, was terminated on Sept. 15 because of an off-duty Facebook post critiquing Kirk’s Second Amendment position.
Now, Vaughn is suing Spartanburg County School District Five, the organization’s board of trustees and Superintendent Randall Gary.
The lawsuit stated that on Sept. 10, Vaughn shared a Kirk quote and her apparent reaction to it on her private and personal Facebook account.
The post said:
“I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second amendment to protect our other God-given Rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.” – Charlie Kirk. Thoughts and prayers.
“[T]he WHOLE point here is that any time someone is killed fits [sic] a tragedy. Even someone I may not like. Even someone I disagree with. But instead of accepting it, why don’t we do something about it?
“I disagree with [Kirk] and think today should not have happened. I’m sorry it did.
“No satisfaction here. Just heartbreak for anyone and everyone affected by gun violence and a hope that one day, enough will be enough. At the end of the day, all want the same thing—for everyone to be safe in their school, home, church, in a public place, at a rally or event, or just out in public.”
Vaughn’s termination letter cited staff conduct, technology use and support-staff dismissal policies. It also invoked the social media guidelines that she recently signed, the lawsuit said. The district said the social media guidelines caution employees that they “must be respectful and professional in all communications (by word, image, or other means).”
Vaughn alleges that she did not believe her speech was inappropriate. She is now requesting that the court declares her termination and the social media guidelines unconstitutional under the U.S. and South Carolina constitutions.
She is also requesting to be reinstated, paid or relieved with other compensatory payments.
The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.