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A former Knoxville Community School District special education associate has filed a lawsuit after she was allegedly fired over a social media post she wrote about Charlie Kirk after his assassination.
Stacey Sumpter, a former special education associate, sued Knoxville Community School District and its superintendent, Cassi Pearson, after she was fired on Sept. 12, 2025.
While off duty on the day Kirk was assassinated, Sept. 10, 2025, Sumpter wrote a post on her personal Facebook that drew the ire of community members.
“Normally I would say Auf wider sehen; but since that technically means ‘til I see you again’… So since I never wish to see you again, to you; I say goodbye,” she wrote, according to the complaint. The comment was made in response to a photo with a list titled “Things to remember about Charlie Kirk” followed by a list of claims against the slain activist.
Charlie Kirk throws hats to the crowd after arriving at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
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Her attorneys argue that while the assassination dominated headlines and was the subject of widespread debate, Sumpter’s statement was “a personal, private expression of her viewpoint.” They added that her comment “did not threaten anyone, did not incite imminent unlawful action or violence, and was not directed at any member of the school community or broader community.” Furthermore, they noted that the post did not mention where Sumpter worked and did not connect her to the school as it did not occur during work hours or a classroom and was not made with school resources.
The complaint alleges that on Sept. 11, 2025, “community members contacted the district demanding punishment for the content of Ms. Sumpter’s speech.” The former educator’s attorneys noted that she attended work that day as usual and the post was not mentioned.
That day, according to the complaint, “Principal Jory Houser called Ms. Sumpter into his office over lunch and notified her that the District had been receiving complaints about the viewpoint expressed in her post.” While her attorneys say that she “finished the school day without disruption,” Sumpter allegedly received a call from Houser that evening informing her that she was being suspended while the district “investigated” the situation. Sumpter was informed the next morning that she was fired.
A supporter attends a vigil in memory of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk who was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University, outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Ariz., Sept.19, 2025.
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According to the complaint, Pearson wrote Sumpter a letter informing her that the “‘language used in the post is not respectful and conveys hatred’ and that her employment with the district was being ‘terminated immediately’ because of the Facebook post.”
Sumpter’s attorneys say that since her firing, she had been denied the due process promised to her in the district’s policies. The former educator was allegedly not given notice of her potential termination or the opportunity to defend herself.
“The Defendants transformed a moment of public debate into an employment crisis for Ms. Sumpter. Instead of respecting her right as a citizen to comment on political events of the utmost public interest or even respecting her right to due process to present her side of the story, they chose to silence and punish her,” the complaint reads.
A tribute to Charlie Kirk is shown on the Jumbotron before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Bristol, Tennessee. (Wade Payne/AP)
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Attorneys for Sumpter say the district not only violated its own policies, but also the Constitution. They allege that Sumpter’s firing constitutes a violation of her First Amendment rights, as she was speaking as a private citizen and not as part of her duties at the school.
Sumpter is not the first Iowa educator to sue after being fired over Kirk-related comments.
A fired teacher from Oskaloosa and a teacher on leave from Creston have also sued their districts, according to The Des Moines Register. The outlet said that the Creston teacher on leave is expecting to be fired.
Former Oskaloosa teacher Mattew Kargol sued after he was fired for posting “1 Nazi Down” following Kirk’s assassination. The complaint, which was published by Oskaloosa News, describes the comment as “rhetorical hyperbole about a widely reported public event.”
In October, Creston teacher Melisa Crook sued her district after she was put on leave over a post in which she called Kirk a “terrible human being,” according to The Des Moines Register. She added that “I do not wish death on anyone, but him not being here is a blessing.” Crook also clarified later that she did not condone violence.
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A judge later approved her request to block the district from terminating her employment. However, The Des Moines Register noted that the court has yet to rule on a longer-term preliminary injunction.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sumpter’s attorneys and Pearson for comment.
