William Loggans is an economics and social studies teacher in Orange County, Florida, who decided to put a Charlie Kirk poster in his classroom after Kirk's brutal assassination last month.
That poster was apparently too extreme for Orange County district administrators.
In an interview with Not the Bee, Loggans shared his motivation behind the poster, saying that he has a variety of such banners around his room featuring notable public figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Ronald Reagan.
His message to his students with the Charlie Kirk quote was simple:
Don't be afraid to speak up for what you believe in. That's how people change things.
Loggans, who started teaching at Horizon High a year after it opened in 2021, says students were deeply disturbed by Kirk's assassination.
One student, however, came up to him, told him Charlie Kirk "is a Nazi and a fascist," and said the poster would have to come down.
The principal, Andrew Jackson, was outside Loggans classroom in the hallway at the time this student made the comment. He told Loggans not to worry about it, since the school allows a range of posters that express diverse views.
The student, however, sent Principal Jackson an email. He was then required to report the complaint to the district. After their legal team assessed the situation, they determined that the poster needed to be removed - not because of Kirk's quote, but because Kirk himself is considered "divisive."
The district cited the precedent of removing a Gadsden ("Don't Tread On Me") flag from a classroom as part of its decision.
Loggans complied with the order, but as part of a civic lesson for his students, and in memory of the values Charlie Kirk stood for, he decided to take a stand, filing a grievance against the district.
As of Tuesday, the district had not replied to him, but Loggans isn't planning on backing down.
"I'm not gonna give up on this," he said.
Loggans noted that the district, like many across America, has a double standard when it comes to political and ideological messaging. Leftwing symbols and figures are not considered controversial, while rightwing messages are.
In talking with Not the Bee, he said,
In our school, there are several teachers that have Pride flags in their rooms or stickers on their doors ... they did not consider them to be divisive or political.
Despite Florida's government being controlled by Republicans, Loggans says Orange County is a blue dot overseen by a number of leftwing ideologues.
Case in point 👇
While Loggans waits for an answer from district officials, he says he has received support from some parents and a number of his students. Far from being quiet, he is becoming more involved with civic activities on campus.
On Tuesday, Loggans submitted a request to form a club that will help students engage with civic duty, U.S. history, and community service, with the goal of dissolving once students are able to form a Turning Point USA chapter of their own.
Loggans wants his students to voice their beliefs and learn to think critically.
Don't let somebody else tell you what to believe and what to think.
If you'd like to hear more about Loggans' story, check out The Dana Show with Dana Loesch on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. EST. Lake County commissioner and attorney Anthony Sabatini, who pushed to have a local road named in Charlie Kirk's honor, will be joining him to discuss the situation.
Good luck silencing this story, Orange County administrators!
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
