A Mead High School language arts teacher is no longer in the classroom following parent complaints about a social media post she made after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Shortly after Kirk’s death, teacher Christine Engelen reposted a Facebook post by a different person that described Kirk as a fascist. The post urged people to “mourn the children he tried to erase, not the propagandist who put them in the crosshairs. Mourn the communities he sought to criminalize, not the grifter who made millions stoking hate against them. He can rest in piss.”
A conservative social media influencer shared Engelen’s re-post and urged people to contact the school and demand she be fired.
Mead High parents also advocated for her firing through emails and at a community meeting with the superintendent. Along with the content of the post she shared, parents reported that she had encouraged students to follow her on her social media accounts and so was able to influence students with her post.
St. Vrain Valley School District spokeswoman Kerri McDermid said in an email that Engelen is currently employed by the district, but did not say in what role. In a letter sent to parents of students in Engelen’s class, district officials wrote that she would “not be returning to Mead High School.” The message went on to say a substitute teacher would cover her class while the district searched for a permanent replacement.
St. Vrain Valley didn’t provide a reason for her departure, citing “state and federal privacy laws.” But she left Mead after parents complained about her social media post. Engelen had worked at the high school since 2014.
According to St. Vrain Valley School District policy, online conduct that “distracts or disrupts the learning environment” or violates district policies may lead to disciplinary action, including termination.
Neither the St. Vrain Valley Education Association nor the Colorado Education Association responded to a request for comment.
Both K-12 teachers and college professors in other states have been fired over the last few weeks for social media comments criticizing Kirk. The American Civil Liberties Union has called the firings an abuse of power and a violation of the First Amendment.
Locally, Broomfield City Council member James Marsh-Holschen is facing calls for his resignation after he wrote an opinion piece in the Broomfield Enterprise. The article, published Sept. 14, discussed Kirk’s assassination and the shooting at Colorado’s Evergreen High School. Marsh-Holschen has said he doesn’t plan to resign.