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Iowa special education aide fired over Charlie Kirk comment files lawsuit
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A former Knoxville Community School District special education associate has filed a lawsuit after she was allegedly fired over a social media post she wrote about Charlie Kirk after his assassination.
Stacey Sumpter, a former special education associate, sued Knoxville Community School District and its superintendent, Cassi Pearson, after she was fired on Sept. 12, 2025.
While off duty on the day Kirk was assassinated, Sept. 10, 2025, Sumpter wrote a post on her personal Facebook that drew the ire of community members.
«Normally I would say Auf wider sehen; but since that technically means ‘til I see you again’… So since I never wish to see you again, to you; I say goodbye,» she wrote, according to the complaint. The comment was made in response to a photo with a list titled «Things to remember about Charlie Kirk» followed by a list of claims against the slain activist.
Charlie Kirk throws hats to the crowd after arriving at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS FACE BACKLASH FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS MOCKING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION
Her attorneys argue that while the assassination dominated headlines and was the subject of widespread debate, Sumpter’s statement was «a personal, private expression of her viewpoint.» They added that her comment «did not threaten anyone, did not incite imminent unlawful action or violence, and was not directed at any member of the school community or broader community.» Furthermore, they noted that the post did not mention where Sumpter worked and did not connect her to the school as it did not occur during work hours or a classroom and was not made with school resources.
The complaint alleges that on Sept. 11, 2025, «community members contacted the district demanding punishment for the content of Ms. Sumpter’s speech.» The former educator’s attorneys noted that she attended work that day as usual and the post was not mentioned.
That day, according to the complaint, «Principal Jory Houser called Ms. Sumpter into his office over lunch and notified her that the District had been receiving complaints about the viewpoint expressed in her post.» While her attorneys say that she «finished the school day without disruption,» Sumpter allegedly received a call from Houser that evening informing her that she was being suspended while the district «investigated» the situation. Sumpter was informed the next morning that she was fired.
A supporter attends a vigil in memory of conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University, outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Ariz., Sept.19, 2025.
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According to the complaint, Pearson wrote Sumpter a letter informing her that the «‘language used in the post is not respectful and conveys hatred’ and that her employment with the district was being ‘terminated immediately’ because of the Facebook post.»
In response to an email from Fox News Digital, Pearson said the district does not comment on pending litigation.
Sumpter’s attorneys say that since her firing, she had been denied the due process promised to her in the district’s policies. The former educator was allegedly not given notice of her potential termination or the opportunity to defend herself.
«The Defendants transformed a moment of public debate into an employment crisis for Ms. Sumpter. Instead of respecting her right as a citizen to comment on political events of the utmost public interest or even respecting her right to due process to present her side of the story, they chose to silence and punish her,» the complaint reads.
A tribute to Charlie Kirk is shown on the Jumbotron before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Bristol, Tennessee. (Wade Payne/AP )
CELEBRATORY, DISMISSIVE REACTIONS TO CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH PUTTING EDUCATORS UNDER SCRUTINY
Attorneys for Sumpter say the district not only violated its own policies, but also the Constitution. They allege that Sumpter’s firing constitutes a violation of her First Amendment rights, as she was speaking as a private citizen and not as part of her duties at the school.
Sumpter is not the first Iowa educator to sue after being fired over Kirk-related comments.
A fired teacher from Oskaloosa and a teacher on leave from Creston have also sued their districts, according to The Des Moines Register. The outlet said that the Creston teacher on leave is expecting to be fired.
Former Oskaloosa teacher Mattew Kargol sued after he was fired for posting «1 Nazi Down» following Kirk’s assassination. The complaint, which was published by Oskaloosa News, describes the comment as «rhetorical hyperbole about a widely reported public event.»
In October, Creston teacher Melisa Crook sued her district after she was put on leave over a post in which she called Kirk a «terrible human being,» according to The Des Moines Register. She added that «I do not wish death on anyone, but him not being here is a blessing.» Crook also clarified later that she did not condone violence.
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A judge later approved her request to block the district from terminating her employment. However, The Des Moines Register noted that the court has yet to rule on a longer-term preliminary injunction.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sumpter’s attorneys for comment.
charlie kirk,law,media,individual rights,politics,education
INTERNACIONAL
SCOOP: Trump ally Kid Rock jumps into key governor’s race with high-profile endorsement
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EXCLUSIVE — Detroit native and cultural icon Kid Rock is taking sides in the race for Michigan governor.
The famed musician and entertainer with a working-class persona who is known for his conservative political views is endorsing Republican Rep. John James in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The Michigan governor’s office and a Democrat-controlled open U.S. Senate seat are top targets for the GOP to flip in November’s midterm elections.
«As our next Governor of Michigan, I know you will bring many victories to our GREAT STATE!» Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital on Sunday.
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Musician and Detroit native Kid Rock, left, joins Republican Rep. John James of Michigan, who is running for governor. (John James gubernatorial campaign)
James, who’s in his second term representing a swing congressional district in suburban Detroit, said in a statement, «Kid Rock is a good friend. We share our love for Detroit, the state of Michigan and the United States of America!»
«I’m honored to have the endorsement of this unapologetic freedom-loving patriot and I look forward to working with him and every other Michigander to make Michigan great again!» added James, a West Point graduate and veteran of the Iraq War, and a businessman who was the 2018 and 2020 Republican Senate nominee in the Great Lakes battleground state.
Kid Rock’s backing of James comes a couple of hours before the singer and songwriter headlines Turning Point USA’s «All-American Halftime Show» during the Super Bowl.
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Turning Point USA, which was co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, is hosting its own alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show this Sunday. The event comes as conservatives criticize the NFL’s choice to feature Latin music star Bad Bunny as the halftime performer.
Musician Kid Rock performs on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Kid Rock is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, backing him in all three of his presidential campaigns. He performed his song «American Bad Ass» at the 2024 Republican National Convention with altered lyrics to showcase his support for Trump.
Trump, whose sway over the GOP remains immense and whose endorsements in Republican primaries are highly coveted and extremely influential, to date has not weighed in on Michigan’s gubernatorial race.
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A release from James’s campaign highlighted that «John James has stood with President Trump consistently since 2018, and every subsequent election, maintaining a clear and steady alignment when others backed his opponents, ran against him, or stayed silent.»
The James campaign also emphasized that «Kid Rock and John James share deep Detroit roots and a common view of Michigan as a state defined by hard work, manufacturing, culture, and natural beauty — from the Great Lakes to the communities that power the Midwest economy.»
Rep. John James of Michigan, seen at the 2024 Republican National Convention, is running for governor in the battleground state’s 2026 race. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty)
James is the clear polling front-runner in a very crowded field of Republicans vying for the GOP nomination in the August primary. Among the other Republicans in the race are former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former state House of Representatives Speaker Mike Leonard, and businessman Perry Johnson, a longshot candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination who is making his second bid for governor.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is the clear front-runner among three candidates for the Democratic nomination.
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Former three-term Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit is campaigning for governor as an independent.
The race in Michigan is rated a toss-up by three top nonpartisan political handicappers: the Cook Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball.
donald trump,gubernatorial,republicans elections,elections,midterm elections,michigan,super bowl
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Iran’s top diplomat says nation’s power lies in defying pressure: ‘No to the great powers’
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Iran is prepared to pursue diplomacy while remaining ready to defend itself if challenged, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday, arguing that Tehran’s strength lies in its ability to stand firm against pressure.
«We are a man of diplomacy, we are also a man of war; not in the sense that we seek war, but … we are ready to fight so that no one dares to fight us,» he said, according to Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster.
Araghchi made the remarks in Tehran at the National Congress on the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Policy, two days after Iran and the United States held nuclear talks in Oman.
Fox News previously reported that negotiations between Iranian and U.S. officials in Muscat, the capital, were held face-to-face, marking the first such meetings since U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June.
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Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ahead of U.S.-Iran talks in Muscat, Oman, on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the talks as «intensive and lengthy» in a post on X, saying the meetings allowed both sides to present their positions and concerns.
«It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,» the government account said.
It added there was broad agreement on continuing the negotiations, though decisions on timing, format and the next round will be made following consultations in the two capitals, with Oman continuing to serve as the intermediary.
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Araghchi said Sunday that Iran views its nuclear program as a legitimate right and is seeking recognition of that position through negotiations.
«I believe the secret of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s power lies in its ability to stand against bullying, domination and pressures from others,» he said, according to Press TV.
«They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers,» the top diplomat added. «The secret of the Islamic Republic’s power is to say no to the powers.»
A map created by Fox News shows U.S. naval vessels positioned across key waterways in the Middle East, from the eastern Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea, as part of an expanded American military presence in the region. (Fox News/USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker)
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President Donald Trump has expanded the U.S. military presence in the Middle East, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and the USS Michael Murphy, a guided-missile destroyer.
Other U.S. naval assets, including the USS Bulkeley, USS Roosevelt, USS Delbert D. Black, USS McFaul, USS Mitscher, USS Spruance and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., are positioned across key waterways surrounding Iran, from the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
iran,middle east,nuclear proliferation
INTERNACIONAL
Donald Trump insiste en que las elecciones en Estados Unidos están «amañadas» y son «fraudulentas»
El presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, volvió a insistir este domingo en que las elecciones en Estados Unidos están «amañadas» y son «fraudulentas», mientras se prepara para hacer campaña para los comicios de medio mandato del próximo 3 de noviembre.
«Las elecciones estadounidenses están amañadas, son fraudulentas y son motivo de burla en todo el mundo. O las arreglamos o dejaremos de tener un país», aseguró el mandatario en su red Truth Social.
En la publicación, Trump pidió a los republicanos luchar por que todos los votantes muestren su documento de identidad y una prueba de ciudadanía estadounidense, así como que no se admitan votos por correo excepto por enfermedad, discapacidad, servicio militar o viaje.
El jueves, el presidente ya instó a los republicanos en el Congreso a que aprueben la Ley «SAVE America», un proyecto impulsado por su partido que endurecería los requisitos para votar en las elecciones de este año, en medio de nuevas acusaciones sin pruebas sobre un supuesto fraude electoral.
El mandatario reclamó a los legisladores republicanos que luchen por medidas como la exigencia de identificación de votantes, prueba de ciudadanía para registrarse y severas restricciones al voto por correo.
Previamente, en una entrevista con NBC, afirmó sin presentar pruebas que algunos estados podrían no estar contando correctamente los votos.
Las elecciones del 3 de noviembre, en las que se renovará el Congreso, son clave para el presidente, ya que está en juego la ajustada mayoría que los republicanos mantienen en el Congreso.
El republicano anunció recientemente que viajará cada semana dentro del país para hacer campaña de cara a estos comicios.
Los planes de Trump, que sigue afirmando sin presentar ninguna prueba que su rival Joe Biden ganó con fraude en 2020, desatan las alarmas en Washington. Ahora el mandatario pidió a los republicanos que arrebaten a los estados el control de los comicios para las legislativas de noviembre, en las que la oposición podría recuperar el control del Congreso.
Todo ocurre luego del último batacazo electoral en Texas, un histórico bastión republicano, donde el candidato demócrata Taylor Rehmet ganó un escaño en el Senado en un distrito en el que Trump había arrasado en 2024.
Ese mal trago en el voto se suma a varias elecciones, como las de gobernadores en Virginia y Nueva Jersey de noviembre último, con amplios triunfos opositores mientras los sondeos siguen revelando que la gente no está de acuerdo con lo que hace Trump desde la Casa Blanca.
Ante ese panorama, el presidente dijo que su partido debería “nacionalizar” la elección, al tiempo que cuestionó si ciertos estados -en poder de los demócratas, desde luego- deberían seguir celebrando sus propias elecciones como lo establece la Constitución.
En concreto, Trump quiere cambiar las reglas que dispone la ley. Desde hace décadas, son los estados o distritos electorales los que controlan los comicios. Trump quiere ahora que sea el Estado federal el que lo haga, lo que le permitiría digitar resultados y alterar el voto. Un tema son los extranjeros, blanco de su agenda migratoria. Según afirma, votan sin estar documentados y votan a los demócratas.
Trump viene planteando la cuestión desde hace días, a medida que los sondeos lo golpean. “Quiero ver que las elecciones sean honestas, y si un Estado no puede organizar una elección, creo que la gente que me respalda debería hacer algo al respecto”, dijo Trump el martes en la Oficina Oval, flanqueado por republicanos del Congreso.
“Miren Detroit… miren Filadelfia, miren Atlanta”, agregó el mandatario Trump, refiriéndose a las ciudades en estados clave como lugares de presunta corrupción, sin citar pruebas específicas. “El gobierno federal no debería permitir eso. El gobierno federal debería intervenir. Son agentes del gobierno federal encargados del recuento de votos. Si no pueden contar los votos de forma legal y honesta, entonces alguien más debería hacerse cargo”.
Los comentarios de Trump son un eco de lo que dijo en una entrevista de podcast el lunes con Dan Bongino, ex subdirector del FBI, en la que exhortó a los republicanos a “hacerse cargo” de los procedimientos de votación en 15 Estados, que no nombró.
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SCOOP: Trump ally Kid Rock jumps into key governor’s race with high-profile endorsement
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