A Manhattan school board member who came under fire for posting on social media that the fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was “well deserved” is no longer employed at the Kansas State Department of Education.
A spokesperson for the Kansas State Department of Education confirmed that Katie Allen was no longer an employee at the agency after working there as a research analyst. The spokesperson could not comment further.
Allen expressed remorse for her social media post in an apology that was first reported by the Manhattan Mercury last week.
Allen, a member of the Manhattan-Ogden School District school board, declined to discuss the details of her departure from the agency.
She accused elected officials of using their elected positions to vilify her on social media.
“You’re seeing government, people in elected positions, trying to harass and intimidate people with cyberbulling,” Allen said in an interview.
“I’ve been receiving unbelievable amounts of harassment,” she said.
“Online comments are one thing, but it’s extended to they’re putting my address in comments,” she said.
“My biggest concern is that they’re not the only person that they’re doing this to.”
Last week, three Republican candidates for governor – Senate President Ty Masterson, former Gov. Jeff Colyer and Johnson County businessman Philip Sarnecki – called for Allen’s firing for her social media post.
“Nobody who celebrates political violence should shape our kids’ education. Thanks to swift action, she’s out at KSDE,” Masterson said in a statement.
“We’re not done. She must step down from the school board, too. I’m committed to protecting Kansas values and ensuring our schools are led by those who respect all voices.”
Allen said she is still on the school board and is not planning to step down.
“I’m not going to let them bully me,” she said. “If they do this to me, they’re going to keep doing it to other people.
“They honestly think that they can use intimidation to silence people, and I won’t be silenced,” she said.
Masterson was joined in the call for Allen’s ouster by Republican state Sen. Brad Starnes of Riley, who represents the Manhattan area.
“I certainly understand speech has consequences,” Allen said in a separate statement.
“However, these people serving in elected roles are using their role as government actors to target and harass citizens without any due process,” she said.
Colyer struck a similar note to Masterson, but took the issue one step further.
“This is the right outcome,” Colyer said of Allen’s departure.
“Taxpayer-funded positions cannot be a platform for celebrating terrorism and political violence.” he said.
Then he added, “It’s time for a full legislative review of hiring policies and practices across our public-education system to ensure standards of professionalism and respect are upheld.
“If state leaders won’t act, I will push for the reforms needed to protect Kansas students and restore public trust starting with personnel changes across our many education agencies and schools,” Colyer said.
Colyer, Masterson and Sarnecki, meanwhile, have focused their ire on another state employee, this one an associate print coordinator at the University of Kansas who posted that Kirk was “better in the ground as worm food” after he was assassinated.
“As expected, the radical leftists are exposing themselves, and those who aren’t are clearing their social media accounts,” Colyer said in a statement.
“We know there are more,” he said.
He urged his social media followers to report to his campaign email account if anyone has “information about any state official or employee applauding political violence and pro-terrorist sympathy.”
And on Tuesday, Sarnecki wrote a letter to KU Chancellor Douglas Girod, urging that he fire the employee for “celebrating the political assassination” Kirk.
While Sarnecki agreed that Allen “rightfully” was no longer employed by the state, he said it’s time that KU took action against the employee who made the comments about Kirk.
Masterson said he was “appalled” by the “vile” comments by the KU employee. He, too, said the university should fire the employee.
“The hateful comments spewed by numerous individuals involved in our education system are an indictment of an extreme ideology that has taken over our campuses,” he said.
