Alabama Education Superintendent Addresses Teachers’ Social Media Posts

Over the weekend, Alabama education superintendent Eric McKey sent a letter to school supervisors, signaling potential investigations and consequences for teachers regarding what he described as inappropriate social media posts.

The letter was in response to comments made by two Alabama educators following the murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. McKey characterized these posts as “despicable,” “condemnable,” and “unforgivable.”

“These posts were created and shared by two of our own Alabama teachers,” McKey stated. He emphasized that such remarks do not represent the majority of Alabama educators, who he believes are dedicated professionals working hard to foster the development of their students.

He mentioned that the posts could violate Alabama’s administrative laws or the code of ethics for educators. McKey urged principals and fellow teachers to report any offensive social media activity to his office, promising that each case would be investigated by a state-accredited team. Additionally, he noted that he had previously deleted the teacher’s post and advised others to act similarly to “protect students.”

However, there’s some ambiguity about whether McKey or a district supervisor has the authority to terminate teachers based on questionable social media activity that doesn’t break the law. McKey acknowledged teachers’ First Amendment rights, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court had previously affirmed in a 1968 ruling that educators retain the right to discuss public concerns.

While Alabama law does provide a pathway to remove teachers for their comments, the remarks must significantly impede their effectiveness in the classroom. Meeting that standard can be challenging and might lead to legal challenges from the Alabama Education Association, depending on the circumstances.