Clay County, Fla. – In a decision issued on Oct. 21, Division of Administrative Hearings Judge Suzanne Van Wyk recommended that the state Department of Education dismiss the misconduct case against Kelly Brock‑Sanchez, an exceptional‑student teacher at Ridgeview Elementary School. The case stemmed from a private Facebook post the teacher made on Sept. 10, 2025, the day Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking at a Utah college.
Private post, public controversy
Brock‑Sanchez posted, “This may not be the obituary. We [sic] were all hoping to wake up to, but this is a close second for me.” The post appeared on a Facebook account she operated under the name “Kelly SteelMagnolia.” The profile was set to private, limited to friends who were not students, parents, or coworkers, except for one fellow union member.
The Department of Education argued the post was made on a “public” page and therefore subject to the agency’s employee‑conduct standards. Judge Van Wyk rejected that premise, noting that the teacher did not choose to disseminate the content beyond her private network. “Though someone decided to more broadly disseminate the post, (Brock‑Sanchez) did not make that decision, and the consequences of posting to a ‘public’ account cannot be attributed to her,” the ruling states.
Reaction at Ridgeview Elementary
After a friend shared the post with a wider audience, the message went viral. Ridgeview’s principal reported an “overwhelming” response: the school received more than 800 emails, 300 Facebook comments, and numerous threatening phone calls. Some teachers left early that day, and staff described a “fallout” among faculty following the surge of messages.
Despite the disruption, the judge concluded that the Department of Education could not meet its burden of proof that Brock‑Sanchez’s conduct was “grossly immoral” or that it caused parents to question her qualifications. The ruling also noted that the agency’s claim the post required increased security – a cost to the district – was based on the mistaken premise that the post was public.
Broader context of educator speech in Florida
Last year, several Florida educators, including school‑board members, posted comments about Kirk’s death and faced disciplinary threats from the Department of Education. Former Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas warned that such “despicable comments” did not represent the majority of Florida’s teachers, but pledged investigations of any educator who engaged in “vile, sanctionable behavior.”
Other teachers whose cases were heard by the Division of Administrative Hearings have similarly received recommendations for dismissal, indicating a pattern of scrutiny over social‑media speech that intersects with political issues.
What the recommendation means
Administrative‑hearing rulings are advisory; state and local agencies may choose whether to follow them. Nonetheless, Judge Van Wyk’s recommendation provides a strong legal basis for the school district to drop the disciplinary action and retain Brock‑Sanchez’s teaching certificate.
For parents and community members, the case underscores the tension between educators’ personal expression and the Department of Education’s effort to enforce conduct standards. It also highlights the importance of understanding the privacy settings of social‑media platforms when public employees share personal viewpoints.
Looking ahead
The Department of Education has not yet indicated whether it will appeal the recommendation or pursue a different avenue of action. Meanwhile, Ridgeview Elementary continues its focus on student learning, and many parents have expressed relief that the teacher’s case appears to be moving toward resolution.
Original reporting: Jacksonville Today — read the source article.
