A school district in California says terminating the contract of a coach for posting controversial statements to social media after the death of activist Charlie Kirk could violate her First Amendment rights.
As reported by The Tribune of San Louis Obispo, community members are urging the school district to fire Paso Robles High School assistant basketball coach Netta Perkins after her alleged social media posts gained attention in the aftermath of Kirk’s death.
The Tribune was not able to locate the original posts directly on the coach’s social media accounts, but screenshots shared on social media indicate that Perkins allegedly wrote, “God does not like ugly! Charlie Kirk reap wat u sow!” and “White on white crime let them sit in it!”
As reported by Sadie Dittenber of The Tribune, "another screenshot was shared attributing a third comment to Perkins, but that post had a different profile photo and the user’s Facebook account appeared tagged with a New York location."
At a Paso Robles school board meeting last Tuesday, community members urged officials to take action against Perkins.
One attendee who demanded that Perkins be terminated, called the alleged comments "vile" and "evil."
"An employee who condones murder and race-based hatred is a disgraceful representation of the Paso Robles Unified School District,” Berkley Baker said. “Netta Perkins has disqualified herself and her right to be an employee of this district and to work with the students of the school district, and this district must take the appropriate action and terminate this employee.”
"I don’t think that there’s any place in this district for someone with that type of vile hate in their heart, especially when they’re dealing with our children,” said Randall Jordan, a North County Republican Party official. Kirk aligned with conservative viewpoints.
Coaches taking controversial political stances is nothing new, as Athletic Business reported in 2008 following an incident involving collegiate head basketball coach Rick Majerus.
From AB: Coach's Airing of Personal Beliefs Sparks Debate
The district said in a statement Friday that while the comments are not aligned with its values, it cannot legally take action against the coach for comments made in her personal time, Dittenber reported.
“That doesn’t mean the District agrees with or condones the posts,” according to the statement, signed by district superintendent Jennifer Loftus, “but it does mean the District is legally obligated to handle these situations differently than what many might expect.”
“We understand how upsetting the recent social media posts by a PRJUSD athletic coach have been for many in our community, and we want you to know that your voices are heard,” the statement said.
Per Dittenber, the district articulated that while private businesses have fired employees over social media comments, schools don’t have that same ability.
“Public schools, however, are public institutions and must follow constitutional protections such as the First Amendment,” the district wrote. “In practice, this means that even if a staff member or coach shares something online that many find upsetting, the District cannot legally take disciplinary action based on personal speech alone, unless it affects their ability to do their job or harms students.”
When reached for comment, Perkins did not confirm if she had made any comments and if so, what they were, but she told The Tribune via Facebook that she was grateful to the district for protecting her First Amendment rights.
