MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Florida’s education commissioner is warning teachers to watch what they say about assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
On Tuesday, Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas was at Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School in northeast Miami-Dade, speaking to students about the importance of scholarships and applying for them.
Local 10 News asked him about a recent memorandum he sent out, warning school districts and teachers who choose to “make disgusting comments” about the assassination.
“I’ll keep it very simple,” Kamoutsas said. “An educator who is designated with ensuring the health, safety and welfare of students in schools making comments celebrating violence at a school is very concerning.”
The memo refers to Rule 6-A in the Code of Teacher Conduct in Florida. It outlines the process to investigate complaints against teachers and potential penalties for misconduct.
But the memo doesn’t clarify what’s inappropriate, leaving many teachers concerned about what they can say and do in a classroom.
“We made it very clear that we will look at every case and we will ensure and we will investigate and ensure that they are appropriate, accountability is instilled and that individuals understand it’s not going to be tolerated,” Kamoutsas said.
When asked what he considers inappropriate and who will decide whether a teacher’s comment crosses the line, the commissioner explained: “There’s going to be an investigation, we have a section of the office dedicated to investigating these cases, then it goes to our attorneys who will recommend to me whether or not I should find probable cause.
“If I find probable cause, then it goes to an independent body, whether it’s a division of administrative judge or the education practices commission, and they will ultimately decide what the sanction is. I recommend the sanction, but ultimately they make the final decision.”
The commissioner says he welcomes open dialogue in classrooms but not “celebrating violence on school campuses.” He did not provide any specifics about what he means by that.
He also ended the memo by saying, “Govern yourselves accordingly.”
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
