Texas
Texas investigations into Charlie Kirk posts spark free-speech lawsuit
What we know about the return of cancel culture
People sharing critical posts online about Charlie Kirk have faced suspension at work. This is what we know now about cancel culture.
A Texas teachers union has sued the state over what it said was a trampling of educators’ free speech rights when hundreds came under investigation for their comments after the killing of Charlie Kirk.
The Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers filed the federal lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency and its commissioner Mike Morath on Jan. 6, the union said. The suit claims investigations into at least 350 teachers after Kirk’s death were “unlawful” and that a letter issued by Morath to superintendents around the state targeting “reprehensible and inappropriate content on social media” prompted punishment and retaliation against teachers.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The cofounder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth-focused organization, Kirk was a close ally of President Donald Trump. Shooting suspect Tyler Robinson has been charged with his murder.
After Kirk’s death, a wave of backlash came in response to online posts condemning his views or otherwise criticizing him. Right-leaning public figures and prominent social media accounts called for firings of people whose posts they deemed inappropriate.
Morath’s letter on Sept. 12 directed superintendents to report “inappropriate conduct being shared” to the Texas Education Agency’s Educator Investigations Division, which investigates teachers for allegations of misconduct, the Texas AFT said in its suit, which was reviewed by USA TODAY. The union said teachers were investigated not for speech made in classrooms, but for posts made on their personal, often private social media pages.
“In the months since, the consequences for our members have run the gamut from written reprimands and administrative leave to doxxing and termination from their jobs,” AFT Vice President and Texas Chapter President Zeph Capo said at a news conference.
The Texas Education Agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Jan. 7.
Lawsuit claims teachers were disciplined for exercising free speech
The lawsuit filed by the Texas AFT claims that teachers in public schools have a constitutionally protected right to free speech, and that their speech in their personal capacity, such as on social media, is protected. The suit claims that teachers’ rights were violated when they were investigated or faced disciplinary action for their posts about Kirk. It also alleges that the policy to report teachers for “inappropriate” content was unfairly vague.
“These teachers were disciplined solely for their speech, without any regard to whether the posts disrupted school operations in any way,” the lawsuit reads.
Teachers whose cases are mentioned in the lawsuit were kept anonymous, Capo said, to protect them from further harassment. Many teachers are fearful to express any more opinions, effectively silencing their speech, he said.
One of the teachers, who made a post described in the lawsuit as one that “simply raised questions about the circumstances of Mr. Kirk’s death and did not promote violence in any way,” was shared by a lawmaker who used it as part of an election campaign and called for the teacher’s dismissal. The high school English teacher, who has taught for 27 years, was placed on administrative leave and later fired. She settled a wrongful termination claim with the school district, the lawsuit said.
Another teacher of 16 years and a military veteran who previously won “Teacher of the Year” in his school district and made posts criticizing Kirk for his views on Black Americans is under an ongoing investigation by the state agency, the lawsuit said.
“We denounced Charlie Kirk’s assassination, we denounced violence after Uvalde. We denounce violence,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “What happened in the next few days (after Kirk’s killing), wasn’t about violence or denouncing violence, it was about muzzling the expression of constitutionally protected nonviolent speech.”
Dozens lost jobs over posts about Kirk
In the wake of Kirk’s death in September, USA TODAY counted dozens of examples of people who lost their jobs, were suspended or investigated over posts or comments they made about the conservative podcaster, including educators, lawyers, doctors, first responders and others.
They include a dean at Middle Tennessee State, Laura Sosh-Lightsy, who was fired for a social media post saying she had “zero sympathy” for Kirk; a Marine who called Kirk a “racist man” who was “popped”; and Jimmy Kimmel, whose ABC show was temporarily suspended after he made comments about Kirk.
Some educators who lost their jobs filed lawsuits alleging their free speech rights were violated. A teacher in Iowa who compared Kirk to a Nazi; a South Carolina teacher’s assistant who posted a Kirk quote and said she disagreed with him but called the death a “tragedy”; and an employee of an Indiana university who said Kirk’s death was wrong and condemned some of his beliefs all filed suits on free speech, according to reporting from the USA TODAY Network. Each case kicked up a flurry of social media outrage and calls for the educators’ firings.
In Tennessee, a tenured theater professor at Austin Peay State University was reinstated after originally being fired for comments he made online after Kirk’s killing, the Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, recently reported.
Texas
Texas Democrats demand AG investigation into X for alleged child sex content
The X logo on the X app formerly known as Twitter is seen in this photo illustration on 01 November, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
AUSTIN – Texas Democrat leaders are demanding that state Attorney General Ken Paxton investigate X, formerly Twitter, and the built-in chatbot Grok for alleged child sex abuse content being generated on the site.
The joint letter from the House leaders says sexualized material is being created at a rate that should trigger a Texas law that would require age verification to use the site.
Texas Democrats request X investigation
What we know:
The Monday letter, signed by 43 House Democrats, references reporting that claims investigators have observed around 7,750 sexualized images being generated per hour and at least one nonconsensual image per minute on X.
They note that Grok has been documented generating sexualized or “nudified” images of minors as well.
According to the House Democrats, other regulators, including those in Europe, have already launched their own queries into the social media site and chatbot. Additionally, they say, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has called on the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission to investigate X and Grok over the same concerns.
The letter says Texas has already established a standard for sites operating as they claim X does: House Bill 1181, enacted in 2023, requires websites where more than one-third of content is sexual material harmful to minors to use age-verification methods to ensure users are over 18.
Proposed investigation requirements
The letter asks Paxton to look into the following:
- Open a formal investigation into whether X, xAI, Grok, or related tools accessible in Texas are being used to create or distribute unlawful sexually explicit deepfakes, nonconsensual intimate imagery, and any AI-generated child sexual exploitation material, and whether platform design choices are facilitating that conduct.
- Investigate whether X is in compliance with Texas age verification requirements under HB 1181, including whether minors can access sexually explicit material or AI tools that generate sexual imagery without reasonable age verification.
- Issue a public enforcement and reporting pathway for victims and parents in Texas, including instructions to preserve evidence, how reports will be routed for rapid investigation when minors are involved, and a point of contact for legislative coordination.
- Provide written guidance to platforms operating in Texas on compliance expectations, including meaningful age gating for sexually explicit material, prompt removal pathways for victims, and cooperation with law enforcement.
What we don’t know:
Paxton has not yet issued a public response to the letter, or announced an investigation into the matter.
What parents and users should know
If you encounter sexualized images of minors or other abusive material online, report it immediately. In the United States, you can contact the FBI tip line or seek help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Do not download, share, screenshot or interact with the content in any way. Even viewing or forwarding illegal material can expose you to serious legal risk.
Parents should also talk with children and teens about AI image tools and social media prompts. Many of these images are created through casual requests that do not feel dangerous at first. Teaching kids to report content, close the app and tell a trusted adult can stop harm from spreading further.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas House Democratic Caucus and previous reporting by Fox News.
Texas
Texas DPS arrests Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku
Texas
Rainbow Trout swim their way back to Texas waterways
With the temperatures starting to change in South Texas, it only means one thing: Trout season has arrived.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is restocking the Texas waterways with thousands of Rainbow Trout. The plan is to stock over 335,000 trout from November through March 6.
This is an annual schedule, and they plan to distribute trout across various waterways. You can find the full stocking schedule, including where and how much, on their website.
The size of the lake, river, or even pond, and how much water is in it, defines how many trout can be placed. Less water means fewer trout, but it also means the water can warm up more quickly.
Known for their skin shimmering like a rainbow in the sun, they are a cold-water species that does best when oxygen-rich water temperatures stay between 40 and 60 degrees. Once water warms into the 70s, trout become stressed, which is why trout fishing in Texas is limited to cooler months.
Thermometers that use infrared technology to read surface temperatures are convenient. However, depending on the stream, the temperature can be significantly different below the surface. That’s why a traditional thermometer for some fishers is an oldie but a goodie.
REMINDERS:
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The state of Texas does not require a fishing license for anyone under the age of 17
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Adults must have a freshwater fishing endorsement on their license
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Anglers can enjoy complementary fishing without a license in a Texas state park from a bank, dock or pier
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Anyone planning a trip to a state park is recommended to reserve a day pass in advance, which can be reserved online or over the phone by calling (512) 389-8900
Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
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