Teacher's aide from South Carolina files a federal lawsuit after being terminated for making comments associated with Charlie Kirk.
Lauren Vaughn, a former teacher's aide in Spartanburg County, has taken a legal stand against her former employers. Vaughn has filed a federal lawsuit against the Spartanburg County School District Five, the Board of Trustees, and Superintendent Randall R. Gary, alleging that her termination was a violation of her First Amendment rights.
The lawsuit, filed with Columbia and Greenville attorneys Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, was initiated due to Vaughn's termination on September 15. According to the lawsuit, Vaughn was let go due to an off-duty Facebook comment criticising conservative influencer and activist Charlie Kirk's Second Amendment position.
The offending post was made on Vaughn's private, personal account, outside work hours, and using her own device. In the post, Vaughn expressed her disagreement with Kirk and expressed hope that one day, enough would be enough to prevent gun violence. Vaughn also made additional comments in the post, stating that she believes something should be done to prevent such tragedies.
The district carried out Vaughn's termination pursuant to the district's official social media guidelines. However, the lawsuit challenges the termination and these guidelines as invalid under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and South Carolina law. The lawsuit cites S.C. Code Ann. 16-17-560 as grounds for a wrongful discharge in violation of policy.
The lawsuit does not specify the exact nature of the violation of Vaughn's First Amendment rights. However, it does claim that Vaughn made clear in her comments that she was expressing her disagreement with Kirk and not condoning any violence.
This lawsuit is the first in the state regarding comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. It addresses the issue of campus speech and firings, particularly in relation to the broader debate at Clemson University. The lawsuit also highlights the importance of free speech and the potential chilling effect that overly restrictive social media policies can have on employees.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court and seeks unspecified damages. As of now, there are no search results indicating which law firms in South Carolina are involved in the case of Lauren Vaughn against the Spartanburg County School District Five, the Board of Trustees, and Superintendent Randall R. Gary regarding job loss over Facebook comments about Charlie Kirk.
The lawsuit follows a series of public figures being fired for comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This case brings to light the delicate balance between free speech and the responsibilities of employers in regulating employee conduct, both on and off duty.
The lawsuit states that Vaughn's Facebook privacy settings were such that only her friends could view her posts. This raises questions about the extent to which employers can monitor and regulate employee speech outside of work hours and on personal devices.
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