The Denver Post’s Jessica Seaman reports that Pueblo County School District 70 reinstated substitute teacher Chris Sutton after he was sidelined for a Facebook post reacting to the murder of Charlie Kirk. Sutton had been placed on “inactive” status in September, then brought back Dec. 5 after attorneys threatened a First Amendment lawsuit.
The story quotes district officials saying the initial action was not arbitrary, citing substantial disruption tied to Sutton’s social media behavior. Seaman details Sutton’s post, the complaints that followed, and notes that his lawyers may still sue despite reinstatement. The district otherwise declined comment.
The Bullet Point Brief
- D70 benched Sutton in September over a post about Kirk’s killing, then reinstated him Dec. 5 after a legal threat.
- The post dismissed the idea that everyone deserves mourning and used profanity to underline that view.
- Eight complaints hit the district, including from local politicians who warned about mill-levy support.
- The superintendent said the suspension addressed credible disruption to the school environment.
- Sutton’s attorneys still hint at a suit, claiming his First Amendment rights were chilled.
My Bottom Line
I am tired of lawyers twisting the First Amendment into a get out of consequences card. The Pueblo district was right to suspend this teacher. Why would any community want that brand of rotten judgment shaping children. Reinstatement was a mistake. The consequence should be dismissal, full stop.
Free speech means you can talk without the government jailing you. It does not mean your employer must ignore your public conduct, especially when you work with kids and represent a school. I spent 40 years behind a microphone. I could have said the F word on air all day. I would not have gone to prison, but I would have been fined and fired. That is how accountability works.
Schools are not obligated to host bad judgment. If your public speech signals that you celebrate death or relish cruelty, you do not belong in a classroom. Keep your liberty. Keep your account. Lose the job that requires better character.
We need more consequences and fewer billable hours. The First Amendment survived just fine here. Now the school board should do its job and set a standard that tells parents their kids are in the hands of adults.
Source: The Denver Post
