What happened: The Midland ISD Board of Trustees met Sept. 18 to consider the superintendent’s recommendations for the termination of a teacher after she made comments celebrating the death of political commentator Charlie Kirk.

The big picture: Trustees voted unanimously to terminate the contract of English teacher Lynette Fields, who faced allegations of making inappropriate political comments during class. A parent, Christy Copeland, told trustees her daughter’s class heard Fields say Kirk “got what he deserved,” and that she planned to “barbecue and drink and celebrate this weekend.” She noted that the principals have video of the incident.

“These are not appropriate comments for a teacher to make to students,” Copeland said. “Insensitivity and careless words with a gleeful demeanor can be traumatizing without her even knowing.”

What they’re saying: Board president Brandon Hodges condemned the comments. “The MISD Board firmly opposes the introduction of celebrating murder and other violent, controversial topics in the presence of our students, as this contradicts our policies aimed at maintaining a respectful educational environment,” Hodges said. He stressed that MISD will hold educators accountable under state law and MISD policies.

Go deeper: Superintendent Stephanie Howard placed the employee on administrative leave ahead of the meeting and reminded staff that “the district will not tolerate comments condoning hate or violence from anyone representing our district.” She said MISD remains committed to “fostering a respectful, supportive environment for all.”

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said that TEA’s Educator Investigations Division is reviewing cases statewide. He said celebrating violence against those with differing beliefs violates the Texas Educators’ Code of Ethics.