Delmarva School Districts Grapple with Fallout from Faculty’s Social Media
DELMARVA – School officials across the peninsula are facing pressure from parents and faculty as questions about educators’ personal activity on social media arise following the killing of political commentator, Charlie Kirk.
Social media erupted on Thursday morning following remarks made by Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano formally calling for the resignation of a Salisbury Middle School teacher, Jay Waggoner. Waggoner had posted a meme on Wednesday evening in a Facebook comment that depicted President Donald Trump speaking with newly deceased Kirk about the Epstein files. Wicomico County Schools Public Information Officer Tracy Sahler called the situation an “unnecessary and unwelcome disruption to school and school system operations,” and added that the post does not reflect the school district’s values.
Accomack County Public Schools (ACPS) found themselves in a similar situation on Thursday morning, as they issued a statement addressing a comments made by Arcadia Middle School teacher, Jessica Merando. In a post made shortly after news broke of Kirk’s death, Merando wrote, “Good.” and, “For those who need me to clarify: Yes, I’m referring to him. Yes, I am celebrating. Yes, I hope he rots. No, I won’t apologize.”
“Please know that we are addressing this situation in accordance with division policy and procedure. ACPS does now support or endorse the opinions expressed by the individual staff members,” said Accomack County Superintendent, Dr. Gennifer Miller, in the statement.
Most recently, the Milford School District put out a statement on Friday morning in regards to a video and several comments made by a paraprofessional employed by the district. Dion Russ, a behavioral support specialist for pre-schoolers, made several posts yesterday responding to Kirk’s death. In one now-deleted post, Russ uses a stream of expletives to describe Kirk and his supporters.
“We are aware of a social media post made by a staff member of the Milford School District. While the district does not control personal statements made outside of the workplace, these comments do not reflect the values and professionalism that is expected of Milford School District employees,” said Milford Superintendent, Travis C. Moorman, in the statement. “This matter is being addressed in accordance with district policy. No additional details will be shared.”
Russ issued his own statement on Facebook, writing, “As someone who creates a significant amount of political content and conducts thorough research, I ensure that my statements are informed and accurate… It seems that some individuals prioritize drama over facts, and I encourage them to focus on the truth.”
No disciplinary actions have been announced at this time.
