Teacher Fired for Charlie Kirk Remarks Asks for Money While Vacationing At Disney
Hearing on Her Case Happens Today
Kelly Brock-Sanchez was fired last year by the Clay County School District for a Facebook post wherein she mocked the assassination of Charlie Kirk and wished Trump would die too. Today, a hearing will decide if she gets to keep her teaching license.
Brock-Sanchez is battling the Florida Department of Education and the School District and has asked people to donate to her via a GoFundMe campaign set up by a relative; she asks the public to donate to help her “heal from trauma and injustice.”
The GoFundMe also details Brock-Sanchez’s fight with cancer and a diagnosis of PTSD, stating the funds collected will be used to meet her $8,000 insurance deductible. The campaign has collected $1,551 so far.
Her illness combined with death threats and blowback from her post have allegedly left Brock-Sanchez destitute and in need of counseling for her PTSD.
But despite the lowly state described in her calls for donations, social media posts from the former teacher appear to tell a different tale. Brock-Sanchez and her husband have joined Facebook groups dedicated to ‘Disney Adults.’
In addition to Facebook, Brock-Sanchez has a TikTok account dedicated to her frequent trips to Disney parks. Based on the dates in the videos, it appears she is making the trek to Orlando at least twice a month, sometimes every weekend.
While enjoying the happiest place on earth is a valid hobby, it is certainly not cheap. Given Sanchez’s public campaign for financial assistance, the frequent Disney adventures have raised questions among community members.
Sanchez's administrative hearing to determine if she can retain her teaching license is scheduled for Friday. Documents from the case show that Sanchez blames the Clay Young Republicans, at least partially, for the loss of her teaching job.
The list of potential witnesses for the trial includes several leaders of the Young Republicans, as well as a slew of people from the Clay County School District.
The court filing also states:
“On her private Facebook page, Respondent stated the views that are the subject of this action. The post was only to be viewed by the individuals who were friends of
Respondent on her private account. An unknown individual apparently took a screenshot of Respondent’s post and forwarded it to various internet forums.
The post was then shared by the Clay County Young Republicans with a MAGA Influencer known as Scott Pressler. On his social media accounts, Mr. Pressler urged his followers to contact the Clay County School Board and the school to demand action be taken against Respondent.”
The filing goes on to state that stating an “opinion on a matter of public concern” to a private Facebook account is not “immoral,” nor does it reduce her effectiveness as a school board employee.
Clay News & Views was not able to find any instances of the Clay Young Republicans calling for Sanchez to lose her teaching job.
The tension between a person’s right to speak their mind and an employer’s right to fire someone for divisive speech is at the heart of the case, complicated by the fact that the employer is the government.
Kelly Brock-Sanchez was not the only person who faced consequences for expressing their opinions about Charlie Kirk, and several people across the country challenged their employers after being fired.
Across the country, people fired for comments about Kirk have had mixed results in keeping or regaining their jobs.
In Florida, one prominent case involved a fish and wildlife employee named Brittney Brown. Brown shared a meme about Kirk’s death. Her post was discovered by the infamous “LibsOfTikTok” account and spread widely across the internet, leading to Brown's firing.
After being fired, Brown sued the state of Florida and settled the case for $485,000. The amount included back pay, damages, and attorney fees. Brown also agreed not to seek future employment with the agency.
