Overview

• The Oskaloosa School Board voted in a closed session on Wednesday, Sept. 17, to terminate art teacher Matthew Kargol’s contract over his social media post about Charlie Kirk’s death.
• Kargol filed a lawsuit the next morning in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa against the district and Superintendent Mike Fisher, alleging First Amendment violations.
• District officials report receiving more than 1,200 calls and seeing just under 10% student absences after the post, which Fisher said caused a substantial material disruption to learning.
• Kargol’s complaint argues his post was private, constituted rhetorical hyperbole, and had no connection to his job or use of school resources, disputing any disruption in his classroom.
• Separately, the Iowa Board of Regents directed the state’s public universities to investigate employee posts about Kirk and to place those under review on administrative leave during two-week inquiries.