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Massachusetts teacher who posted about Charlie Kirk "not returning to their position," superintendent says

A high school teacher in Peabody, Massachusetts will not be back in the classroom after an investigation into social media posts about Charlie Kirk's assassination

The teacher was one of two educators put on leave at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School earlier this month "for alleged violations of district policies and procedures, including but not limited to social media posts following the death of Charlie Kirk," Superintendent Josh Vadala said in a previous statement.

"The investigation into one teacher is still active and ongoing," Vadala said Wednesday. "The other teacher will not be returning to their position at Peabody High School."

Vadala told WBZ-TV that the teacher who is leaving decided to resign and was not fired. The school is in the process of finding a full-time replacement teacher.

"Teachers have been assigned to both classrooms to ensure high-level instruction continues uninterrupted," he said.

At least five staff members at Massachusetts schools were placed on leave for social media posts made in the week after Kirk was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University. Workers have also been suspended or fired nationwide for speaking out about the conservative activist's death. 

A teacher and a staff member at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden were placed on leave for allegedly posting about Kirk. School officials said the teacher's alleged social media post was "inappropriate" and said she wouldn't be allowed back on school property during the investigation. Another teacher was also put on leave for similar reasons at Framingham High School.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association has urged that school officials "not take actions" against educators who are under fire for social media posts about Kirk.

"The ongoing campaign by extreme-right conservatives to discredit and defund public education has grotesquely exploited the shooting death of Charlie Kirk to launch attacks against people commenting on this public figure's beliefs and statements," the teachers association said last week.

In Malden, a school resource officer was reassigned last week to patrol duty for social media comments about Kirk, the police chief said. 

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