Overview

• At least 20 K-12 teachers in California are facing discipline for derogatory social-media comments about Charlie Kirk, including one firing by the Pacheco Union school board and a Dry Creek teacher on paid leave during an investigation.
• Most cases involve off-duty posts on personal accounts, and the California Teachers Association warns such actions may overreach; the union is advising educators to be cautious online and to involve representatives if disciplined.
• California law bars firing employees for their political views but allows action over workplace disruption, and UC Berkeley Law dean Erwin Chemerinsky says private posts by teachers are unlikely to disrupt classroom work.
• In Indiana, officials urged districts to review educators’ posts, the attorney general’s office reported hundreds of complaints, and its Eyes on Education portal now lists 22 K-12 entities and eight universities, though the office says it does not investigate submissions beyond verification.
• No cases to revoke teaching licenses have been filed in Indiana since Sept. 10, at least three K-12 teachers have resigned, and recent school board meetings have featured generally calm public comments split between defending off-duty speech and calling for higher standards.