ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – After an Orange County teacher was told to remove a poster of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk from his room last week, the district has announced it will finally back down.
In a release, district officials originally told News 6 that the teacher — identified as William Loggans, a social studies teacher at Horizon High School — was asked to remove the poster in line with recent state standards following Kirk’s assassination last month.
Those standards were reportedly laid out in a memo from the state commissioner of education on Sept. 11, in which the commissioner warned teachers after “despicable comments” about Kirk’s death were discovered online.
[BELOW: Hundreds mourn Charlie Kirk at Central Florida vigils]
“An educator’s personal views that are made public may undermine the trust of the students and families they serve,” the memo reads. “If an educator’s conduct causes a student or his or her family to feel unwelcome or unwilling to participate in the learning environment, it may be a violation of (state rules).”
Teachers are held to a higher standard as public servants and must ensure their conduct does not undermine the trust of the students and families they serve. We will hold teachers who choose to make disgusting comments about the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk accountable.… pic.twitter.com/KzXCCGkvZm
— Anastasios Kamoutsas (@StasiKamoutsas) September 11, 2025
Shortly thereafter, Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini took to social media to announce that his law firm would represent Loggans.
“If they don’t fix this ASAP, we will sue,” he wrote.
But on Tuesday, Sabatini again took to social media, declaring that the district had “backed down,” allowing Loggans to re-display the Kirk poster in his classroom.
A district spokesperson provided News 6 with the following statement on the matter:
“Following a meeting between Horizon High School administration and Social Studies Teacher William Loggans, the matter regarding the Charlie Kirk classroom poster has been resolved.
Mr. Loggans was originally asked to remove a poster featuring a quote by Charlie Kirk after it was described as “motivational”, which could be interpreted as partisan under district policy governing classroom displays. During the meeting, Mr. Loggans clarified that his intent was to use the poster to support instruction aligned with the state curriculum and the significance of the Bill of Rights to the American legal system and elements of constitutionalism.
The discussion provided an opportunity to clarify district guidelines and ensure a shared understanding of expectations. The situation has been resolved, and the school remains committed to maintaining a respectful, neutral learning environment for all students."
OCPS Assistant Director of Media Relations Lorena Arias