School resource officer in Massachusetts reassigned after Charlie Kirk comments, police chief says
A school resource officer in Malden, Massachusetts has been reassigned for social media comments made about Charlie Kirk's assassination, Police Chief Glenn Cronin said.
Cronin did not reveal what was in the social media post, but said the officer "has been reassigned from the School Resource Officer position back to the patrol division."
"This decision was made to ensure continued trust, professionalism, and alignment with the standards expected of our officers," Cronin said in a statement. "Our priority remains the safety of our schools and community."
The Malden police website says school resource officers "assists the school administration in maintaining a safe and secure learning environment."
"School administration benefit from the SROs training, knowledge and experience in handling situations involving possible weapons violations," the job description states. "The SRO provides a highly visible uniformed presence to deter or identify trespassers on school grounds."
A number of workers across the country have faced professional repercussions for speaking out about Kirk, who was killed last week while speaking at Utah Valley University.
At Massachusetts schools, at least five teachers and staff members have been placed on leave for alleged social media posts about Kirk. Earlier this week, Peabody Public Schools put two high school teachers on leave "for alleged violations of district policies and procedures, including but not limited to social media posts following the death of Charlie Kirk."
Teachers and staff members in Holden and Framingham have also been suspended, and Sharon Public School officials said they were reviewing an employee's alleged personal social media post for "highly inappropriate and insensitive commentary."
The Massachusetts Teachers Association issued a statement this week saying that school officials should "not take actions" against teachers and staff members who come under fire for social media posts about Kirk.