CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has issued a public warning to educators across the state following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday.
In a statement, the agency said any staff members who promote “reprehensible or inappropriate material” connected to Kirk could be investigated or disciplined.
Nancy Vera, President of the Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers, said the focus should remain on student needs — not political tension.
“This drama we don't need right now especially when our children are in so much need. Let's talk about special education needs, let’s talk about needs of children who don't have anything to eat at home,” Vera said.
KRIS 6 News reached out to the Texas Education Agency by phone and email to better understand the scope of the investigation and who is being held accountable. While TEA declined an interview, it confirmed that it has received 180 complaints related to this matter so far.
In a written response, State Commissioner Of Education Mike Morath stated that the Educator Investigations Division has already begun its review.
Morath added that he will recommend to the State Board for Educator Certification that any educators who have made comments about Charlie Kirk that could incite further violence have their certification suspended — making them ineligible to teach in Texas public schools.
Nancy Vera pushed back against the state’s approach, emphasizing that professional expectations for teachers are nothing new.
“Is nothing new. It’s just that these folks — because of the political climate right now — are exacerbating this, and that's going to mean that more people are going to be aware and they're going to complain about anything and everything,” she said.
Vera added that educators have always followed a code of ethics and should be trusted to maintain professionalism.
KRIS 6 also reached out to both Flour Bluff ISD and Corpus Christi ISD for comment. Both districts declined interviews but confirmed that their educators are expected to uphold professional standards of conduct, particularly on social media.
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