Conservative PAC targets teachers who celebrated Charlie Kirk's death, framing accountability as free-speech guardrails

A conservative political action committee is launching a nationwide effort to expose educators who publicly celebrated or justified the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the group’s leadership said. The 1776 Project PAC has rolled out an online form that allows users to flag teachers and administrators who have defended or celebrated Kirk’s killing, executive director Stefano Forte told Fox News Digital in a live interview published on the PAC’s site. Forte characterized the submissions as an ongoing stream of tips, saying the form has already yielded an "endless stream of tips."

Forte framed the effort as a test of judgment and character, not a restriction on speech. "If you’re openly celebrating the murder of Charlie Kirk, you shouldn’t be teaching children. That’s not about free speech; it’s about judgment and character. These are cruel people, and it’s dangerous to have them in classrooms," he said. While conservatives online have launched a variety of efforts to expose online hate directed at Kirk, many left-leaning officials and pundits have accused the right of cracking down on free speech, which Forte dismissed as "ridiculous." The group argues it is publicizing what it says are anti-Kirk sentiments expressed by educators to counterbalance what it views as a left-wing double standard on speech.

Forte offered additional examples that he said illustrate the broader problem. "Many people are essentially happy that Charlie Kirk has been killed. And these people are in charge of the next generations," he told Fox News Digital. He noted that conservatives online have launched a variety of efforts to expose online hate directed at Kirk, while left-leaning elected officials and pundits have accused the political right of choking free speech. Forte called that ``ridiculous'' and argued that the issue is about what educators say and do, not whether they can speak. "No one is saying they can’t talk. They can post whatever they want—but there are consequences. If you’re openly celebrating the murder of Charlie Kirk, you shouldn’t be teaching children. That’s not about free speech; it’s about judgment and character. These are cruel people, and it’s dangerous to have them in classrooms."

The campaign comes as the online-right presses back against what it views as a left-wing defense of hate-filled speech. Forte said the effort is uncovering a broader pattern, including instances where university administrators have publicly celebrated Kirk’s death. He cited a George Washington University administrator who posted on social media that Kirk’s murder was "fair" and that the author of the post felt "no thoughts" and "no prayers" for the victim. Forte said the post was "liked" and "loved" by at least 37 people, some affiliated with universities nationwide. "The rot is incredibly deep," he said. "Some far-left organizations, like DSA, even put out PSAs telling their members what to post. It shows how many of these people are out there, self-reporting. They’ve gotten so comfortable in the cancel culture they built that they assumed only right-wingers could ever get in trouble for speaking their mind. They thought nothing would happen to them."

The discourse around Kirk’s death has also prompted demonstrations and memorials across the country. In Washington, groups gathered for a candlelight vigil at the Kennedy Center, where participants sang and reflected on the moment. The public response to Kirk’s death has become a touchstone in a broader debate over free speech, deplatforming, and the boundaries of acceptable political rhetoric in schools.

Beyond the protests and online campaigns, authorities have pursued a federal angle in the case surrounding Kirk’s death. A shooting at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, during a Kirk speaking event on Sept. 10, 2025, left the activist fatally wounded and prompted an FBI investigation. An agent was seen near the hospital and the campus in the hours after the incident as investigators sought to determine a motive and potential accomplices. The event has intensified discussions among political actors about the costs of inflammatory rhetoric and the responsibilities of educators in public life.

As the political fight over free speech and accountability intensifies, the 1776 Project PAC’s effort to catalog and publicize educators’ remarks is part of a broader set of right-leaning initiatives intended to counter what it views as a leftward tilt in education and media. Advocates say the campaign is a necessary check on people who, they argue, use their positions to normalize or celebrate political violence. Critics, however, worry that such campaigns blur the line between reporting on perceived misconduct and suppressing dissent, potentially chilling legitimate classroom discussion. The debate is likely to intensify as more cases surface and as lawmakers weigh policy proposals around teacher conduct, platform moderation, and the boundaries of political speech in schools.