On September 15, 2025, the Sumter County School Board notified Ms. Thornton, a teacher at South Sumter Middle School, of a five-day suspension without pay. The suspension was imposed by the Superintendent for alleged violations of School Board Policy 3139 and Florida Administrative Code Rule 6A-10.081, which govern professional conduct for educators in Florida.

The letter accused Thornton of sharing a social media post that "normalized a lack of empathy" regarding the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk. It also alleged that she disparaged the superintendent and criticized the conservative group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) for an alleged lack of inclusivity.

However, the post in question was a TikTok video reposted by Thornton on September 12, 2025, two days after the shooting. The video, narrated by Jeff Guenther, LPC, did not celebrate Kirk's death, mention the shooting directly, or state his name. Instead, it conveyed that people are entitled to their feelings, whatever they may be, about the tragic event. Guenther stated, "I want to normalize that, because sometimes when a public figure dies, especially in a tragic way, people rush to say you have to be compassionate right now, don't speak ill of the dead. Just—just because someone doesn't feel empathy—empathy for someone doesn't mean they are vocal about it."

The administrative law judge found that Thornton's posts involved a matter of public concern and that the School Board failed to demonstrate any risk or actual disruption to its operations caused by the posts. Citing the Pickering-Connick legal balance, the judge recommended that the School Board impose no discipline on Thornton and compensate her for back pay during the suspension period.

This recommendation highlights the protection of First Amendment rights for public school employees when expressing views on matters of public concern, especially when no disruption to school operations is shown.

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