By Beth Treffeisen
Copyright boston
At least three Massachusetts school districts have launched internal investigations after educators allegedly posted controversial reactions online following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday.
Wachusett Regional School District placed a second employee on leave last week, while Sharon Public Schools said it is reviewing a social media post by a staff member.
Framingham Public Schools also placed an employee on leave last week pending an internal review.
In a letter to the school community shared with Boston 25 News on Thursday, Sharon Public Schools Superintendent Peter J. Botelho and Sharon High School Principal Kristen M. Keenan said they were made aware of a teacher’s social media post that contained “highly inappropriate and insensitive commentary” about Kirk’s death.
“Today we were made aware of and were extremely concerned about a recent personal social media post by a member of our staff that has been shared publicly in other social media posts,” the letter said. “We recognize that this post has caused distress for members of our school community.”
Boston 25 News said the post didn’t identify the teacher or say whether the teacher would face disciplinary action.
The letter expressed how the post didn’t align with Sharon Public Schools’ values.
“As a district and school, we are and remain committed to fostering an environment grounded in empathy, respect, and thoughtful reflection and dialogue,” the letter said. “The post in question is inconsistent with those values, and we are reviewing and addressing the matter in accordance with established district policies and procedures.”
The Wachusett Regional School District also announced Thursday that it had placed a second employee on administrative leave for “alleged inappropriate social media activity.”
“As educators, the safety and well-being of all students are primary,” the announcement said. “While we continue to focus on our students, we want to once again thank our staff, families, and local law enforcement for their continued cooperation.”
The other post by a teacher in the Wachusett Regional School District has drawn nearly 3 million views on X, via screenshots shared by the Libs of TikTok account. The images showed the teacher posting “Just a reminder, we’re NOT offering sympathy” as an Instagram story from a personal account.
Libs of TikTok also shared a video allegedly posted by the Framingham teacher, who appeared to be singing “God Bless America” while a television news report covered Kirk’s death.
