A veteran English teacher at a Valparaiso, Indiana, high school has resigned following controversy over a personal social media post about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Superintendent Jim McCall announced the resignation at a school board meeting last week but declined to provide details, citing personnel confidentiality, The Chicago Tribune reports.
A 2017 demonstration in Valparaiso (Samuel Love/Flickr Creative Commons)The teacher, Kathryn “Kat” Cichocki, had worked at Valparaiso High School for years, specializing in speech, drama, and serving as technical director of the school’s drama club. Her post, referring to Kirk, who was killed on September 10, and quoting actress Bette Davis — “One should only say good things about the dead … He’s dead. Good.” — was deemed “objectionable” by district leaders.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita had highlighted Cichocki’s post in his Eyes on Education dashboard, saying educators who “cheer the violent death of a political figure” forfeit their moral authority. Gov Mike Braun also said the state would begin reviewing educators’ social media posts, with the potential for license suspension or revocation.
At the school board meeting, some community members defended the teacher’s free speech rights, while others said the district acted appropriately. A job posting for an English teacher at the high school went up following her resignation.
Free Speech & the 1st Amendment in Public Schools
Cases like this fall into a complex area of law. Public school teachers, as government employees, have First Amendment protections for speech made as private citizens on matters of public concern. Those protections, however, are not absolute: if speech significantly disrupts school operations or undermines the district’s ability to carry out its mission, administrators may take disciplinary action.
Private school teachers, by contrast, have no constitutional protections for their free speech against their employers. A private school may terminate an employee simply because a social media post conflicts with its values or damages its reputation. Public schools must balance free expression rights with maintaining an environment conducive to learning.
Editorial Note
This story puts a bright spotlight on tension that’s unlikely to go away. Teachers, like anyone else, are entitled to personal views and the right to express them. But when those views, shared publicly, risk disrupting the school environment or eroding community trust, districts face pressure to act.
A balance must be struck: educators should not be silenced for their opinions, yet they must also recognize that social media comments can easily spill into the classroom. Exercising restraint online is not only wise but essential for maintaining the integrity of the educational setting.
