Overview

• Dozens of K-12 and university employees were terminated for social media comments about the Sept. 10 shooting, and several have filed federal suits challenging the actions.
• Plaintiffs include former Iowa teacher Matthew Kargol, fired after posting "1 Nazi down," and South Carolina aide Lauren Vaughn; the ACLU of Indiana also sued Ball State on behalf of a former employee.
• Institutions say the posts caused significant disruption, with Ball State citing that rationale and Oskaloosa officials reporting more than 1,200 calls about Kargol’s post.
• Recent personnel actions include firings at Clemson University and at Tennessee campuses Austin Peay State, Middle Tennessee State and Cumberland University, with Mississippi State saying an employee is no longer employed.
• Political leaders urged investigations and celebrated terminations, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pointed to a statewide review and South Dakota’s governor praised a regents firing, while FIRE and AFT criticized the crackdowns.