Patrick Meyer. PC: Fox 11 Online
KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Kaukauna teacher was fired Wednesday for a social media post he made in response to the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last month.
The Kaukauna Area School District Board of Education voted 6-1 to fire high school social studies teacher Patrick Meyer. The decision came after more than nine hours of discussion — the vast majority of it in closed session.
In their reasoning, the district stated, “Mr. Meyers’ social media post created actual material disruption to district and school operations.”
Charles West was the lone board member to vote against Meyers’ termination.
“The First Amendment is really important to me. I think we really probably should support that first one,” said West. “I do understand all the concerns from parents. I am a parent of two high school students, very soon. I think that First Amendment is super important.”
In a since-deleted X post, Meyer wrote, “I am not impressed with recent presidential assassins. It’s [expletive] embarrassing! Booth, Guiteau, Czolgosz, Oswald must all be spinning in their graves! MAGAA (make Americans great assassins again)! Sad!”
Meyer was referencing Cole Allen, who is charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the WHCD. Prosecutors allege he sprinted through a security checkpoint and past a metal detector and multiple Secret Service agents while armed and fired one shot before being subdued. One agent was hit, but was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Meyer, who was present at Wednesday’s meeting, was placed on leave after his post received intense backlash from community members and Republican lawmakers.
“If this school district or school board doesn’t do the right thing and fire him, there’s something very seriously wrong with all of you,” said Naomi Dvorachek from Kaukauna a school board meeting last month.
However, others offered their support for Meyer.
“I have nothing but good things to say about his teaching style. He taught us to do our own research, look at the facts,” said Connor Geenen, a 2014 graduate of Kaukauna High School.
Meyer could pursue legal action. Across the United States, several lawsuits have been filed and settled in cases of employees who were fired for social media comments after Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
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