The murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has exposed deep wounds in America’s social fabric. Reactions to Kirk’s killing have led to firings, resignations, and even TV show cancellations.
As usual, local governments and educational institutions are at the center of the fallout. In the wake of Kirk’s death, numerous local officials and government bodies have been ensnared in controversy.
Flag Directives Spark Controversy in L.A. and West Hollywood
Kirk was murdered by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson on Wednesday, Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University. That same day, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation ordering U.S. flags at all public buildings to be lowered to half-staff.
Kirk was a personal friend of the President’s and has been credited with helping him get elected. However, as critics have noted, he was a highly partisan figure and not an elected official, first responder, or member of the armed forces.
The City of Los Angeles refused to comply with Trump’s order. Mayor Karen Bass issued her own directive to the city’s fire stations, ordering them to keep their flags raised unless instructed otherwise by the mayor. Fox LA reports that some individual stations ignored Bass and lowered the flags anyway.
The City of West Hollywood took a different route. WeHo did lower its U.S. flags, along with the Transgender Flag and Progress Flag at Matthew Shepard Square. That decision sparked outrage in the notoriously LGBTQ-friendly city since Kirk was well known for his anti-LGBTQ views.
“Shame on West Hollywood for lowering our flags in honor of a racist, transphobic, homophobic, Nazi-loving monster,” read a sign posted in the Square.
The city issued the following statement explaining its decision:
“The action was undertaken in accordance with the City’s Policy for Recognitions and Memorials, which acknowledges that the City follows the direction of the President in determining when flags in the City are flown at half-staff.”
WeHo added that the decision should not be interpreted as an endorsement of Kirk’s views.
City Officials Criticized for Their Reactions
A city council member in Red Bluff is under fire for remarks he made about the shooting.
“Well at least [Kirk] died doing what he loved, making sure there were guns in schools," Cody Strock wrote in a comment on a friend’s Facebook page.
Strock has since apologized, saying he was attempting to make “a dark joke.”
“At no point did I assume someone would take that as condoning an assassination,” he added.
Some community members are threatening to organize a recall election against Strock.
The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative publication, reported Wednesday that Gwyneth Gilkey, Vice Chair for the City of Martinez’s Diversity and Cultural Commission, had shared an article celebrating Kirk’s death on BlueSky. The piece, entitled “Charlie Kirk is Dead. Here's Why I'm Celebrating,” was written by former Slate magazine staffer Evan Urquhart. The main image for the article, which accompanied Gilkey’s re-post, features a cartoon image of Kirk and a bullet with the words, “When I died I pooped my pants!”
Teachers and School Employees Face Firings and Suspensions
Gilkey isn’t the only DEI professional under fire for their actions on BlueSky. Jonathan Perkins, the director of race and equity at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), was just placed on leave for a post about Kirk’s death.
“It is OKAY to be happy when someone who hated you and called for your people’s death dies—even if they are murdered,” he wrote.
Perkins is not backing down from his comments.
“This is Project 2025,” he later wrote about his suspension. “This is fascism at work.”
K-12 districts have seen their fair share of suspensions as well. Employees of both the Las Virgenes Unified School District in Calabasas and the the San Jacinto Unified School District have been placed on leave for social media posts about the assassination.
One of the most troubling responses to Kirk’s death came from a social media account linked to Redding middle school teacher Kyle Sullivan.
“You reap what you sow Mr. Kirk,” wrote mr_sullivan_87. Then, under a video of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, the person asked if someone could “please kill her” as well.
On Wednesday, the Pacheco Union Elementary School Board voted unanimously to fire Sullivan.
From flag controversies to online posts, these incidents reflect a nation consumed by political turmoil and anger. As local officials react to the tragedy, governments are also struggling to reconcile the rights of free expression with the responsibilities of public leadership.
Update: A member of the Oakdale City Council has resigned over a social media post regarding Charlie Kirk. Another council member in Waterford is also facing pressure to step down.