Teachers, Journalists Face Consequences for Comments Following Charlie Kirk Shooting
JACKSONVILLE, FL – Following the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Jacksonville, Florida, several individuals have faced professional repercussions for their public statements regarding the incident, highlighting the complexities of free speech and its limits in the wake of tragedy.
Palmetto Bay City Councilman Steve Cody apologized for a social media post stating, “Charlie Kirk is a fitting sacrifice to our Lords: Smith & Wesson. Hallowed be their names.” Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier and the town’s mayor have called for Cody’s resignation.
The fallout extended to the education sector. Glen Turf, head of Miami Country Day School as 2001, resigned after an Instagram comment calling Kirk’s shooting “karma.” The school stated the comment “does not align with our values.”
The incident also sparked controversy within journalism. A.G. Gancarski, a political reporter for Florida Politics, was suspended indefinitely after questioning Rep. Randy fine, R-Florida, about his past support for allowing openly carried guns on college campuses. Gancarski’s editor, Peter Schorsch, defended the suspension, stating it was “too soon to explore the political ramifications of a tragedy.” Schorsch expects Gancarski to return to reporting next week. Gancarski, who also writes for Jacksonville Today, did not respond to a request for comment.
MSNBC terminated its contract with political commentator Matthew Dowd after he stated, “Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which lead to hateful actions,” and suggested a connection to the shooting. Dowd later apologized, clarifying he did not intend to blame Kirk for the incident. MSNBC condemned the statement as “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.”
The cases raise questions about First Amendment protections, which are generally weaker for employees of private organizations, including private schools.
Jacksonville Today reporter Megan Mallicoat contributed to this report.
This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida,a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at michael.orlando@freshtakeflorida.com. Donations to support Fresh Take Florida can be made here.
