PEADBODY, Mass. — A Massachusetts teacher who was removed from the classroom amid an investigation into comments they made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is returning to work.
Initially, a pair of teachers in the North Shore town of Peabody were placed on leave following social media posts about Kirk, who was shot to death while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem.
Last week, Peabody Superintendent of Schools Josh Vadala confirmed to Boston 25 News that one of those teachers would not be returning to the classroom.
In an update on Tuesday, Peabody Public Schools and the Peabody Federation of Teachers announced in a joint statement that an agreement had been reached to allow the second teacher back to school on Wednesday.
“The Peabody Public Schools and Peabody Federation of Teachers are deeply committed to the well-being, safety, and education of all students ofPeabody. After a thorough review of the details related to the alleged social media policy violation, the school department and the teacher’s union are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement that will allow the Peabody educator to return to the classroom on October 1, 2025,” the statement read.
The statement continued, “It is important that our community work together to foster greater understanding and respect for opinions that differ from our own. We hope that the same things students are learning in the classroom, including how to engage in debate thoughtfully, the importance of empathy, and how to be a critical thinker, can find their way back into our public discourse.”
Teachers in several other school districts were also disciplined over comments about the killing of Kirk, including Sharon, Holden, and Framingham.
In the wake of the Kirk fallout, the Massachusetts Teachers Association urged school districts across the state to stand by educators who have posted controversial messages.
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