Matthew Calgol, an art teacher at Oskaloosa High School in Iowa, was terminated after he reacted to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, with a social media post saying “1 Nazi Down.”
The Oskaloosa School Board unanimously decided last week to dismiss Calgol for his incendiary comments online. Reports indicate that his actions sparked significant concern within the school community.
“I’m not really into social media,” Calgol remarked, “but I heard from people who shared screenshots, and our director had something to say.” On September 11, the day after Kirk’s death, Superintendent Fisher mentioned that Calgol’s online behavior had led to a “confusion” in the schools.
“This has caused quite a bit of material disruption to the learning environment over the past 12 hours,” Fisher noted during that period.
In response, Calgol filed a lawsuit against Fisher and the Oskaloosa Community School District, insisting that his Facebook posts were merely “rhetorical exaggerations.” He argued that his controversial post was made outside of class hours and didn’t incite any immediate misconduct or direct any threats toward the school community.
However, many teachers nationwide reacted with unsettling glee to Kirk’s assassination, which compounded the outrage. Kirk, who championed free speech and was known for his conservative views, was killed on September 10 while attempting to engage in constructive dialogue with students at Utah Valley University.
The incident occurred in the context of heightened tensions, as Kirk had often been labeled derogatorily in certain circles, drawing ire from the left.
Calgol represents a troubling trend among some educators who continued to spread hate-filled messages about Kirk even after his death. This situation has sparked a significant outcry from parents and community members who are demanding the removal of educators who express such violent sentiments, arguing that such individuals shouldn’t be allowed to educate young minds if they endorse violence for differing opinions.
Calgol’s lawsuit also claims that Fisher’s recommendation for termination was motivated by a desire for publicity, asserting that the superintendent’s decision lacks a basis in genuine confusion about Calgol’s beliefs.
In the meantime, the district revealed that it had received over 1,200 calls regarding Calgol’s online post.
