Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is publicly accusing Gov. Mike Braun’s administration of sitting for more than a year on his office’s referrals of 25 educators over social media posts about Charlie Kirk’s killing. He is demanding that Braun direct the Indiana Department of Education to pursue licensing action against them.
The pressure comes as Rokita is weighing a challenge to Braun in the 2028 Republican primary for governor, according to sources familiar with his plans.
“At the time, Gov. Braun warned that teachers who celebrated and excused political violence could lose their licenses and that such conduct would not be tolerated,” Rokita wrote in a post on X Monday night. “Our office did our part, referring 25 educators to the Indiana Department of Education for potential disciplinary action. Despite repeated requests, no action was taken.”
Rokita addressed the governor directly in the post. “@GovBraun, more than a year has passed. When will your administration act?” he wrote.
He also pointed to Braun’s ties to Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded. “You have publicly partnered with and expressed support for @TPUSA,” Rokita wrote. “We are asking you to back up your words by directing IDOE to address our referrals and pursue the appropriate licensing action.”
Rokita argued that the posts call an educator’s fitness to teach into question. “Many Hoosier students share those beliefs, so how can they feel safe and respected in a classroom led by someone who publicly states that the world would be better off without people like them?” he wrote.
The post included screenshots of two Facebook posts, from Brett Maurer and Ashley Russell. Rokita identified them as examples of referred educators who still hold active teaching licenses.
Braun said in September 2025 that IDOE would review teachers’ statements following Kirk’s killing and could suspend or revoke licenses for misconduct. In a statement at the time, Braun said that while the First Amendment must be protected, calls for political violence are not free speech and should not be tolerated.
The Indiana State Teachers Association condemned political violence at the time. It also warned that threats to revoke licenses over lawful speech could silence teachers in the classroom. Stevie Pactor, an attorney with the ACLU of Indiana, said Braun’s threat could have broad implications for teachers’ speech.
Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10, 2025, during an event in Utah.
That same month, Rokita sent a six-page memo to Indiana school superintendents and university administrators saying schools were wrong not to discipline or fire teachers over comments about Kirk’s death. The memo included a legal analysis of a South Bend social studies teacher’s posts, one of which opened with “with all due disrespect Charlie Kirk can suck it.” That is the same language as the Maurer post Rokita shared Monday.
Rokita launched the Eyes on Education portal in 2024 as a place for parents to report concerns about schools. After Kirk’s death, his office added a section for Kirk-related submissions and published posts from 34 school and university employees, including licensed teachers. In a September 2025 statement, Rokita said his office was not conducting investigations into the individuals listed on the portal.
In March, the Indiana Office of Administrative Law Proceedings told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that no cases involving teacher licenses had been filed with the office since Kirk’s death. That office is the state authority that ultimately suspends or revokes educator licenses after IDOE investigates. Indiana has more than 230,000 licensed teachers. IDOE has said it does not comment on open investigations or pending administrative proceedings, because any action against a teacher’s license is a legal proceeding.
Braun and Rokita have faced each other before. Braun beat Rokita and Luke Messer in the 2018 Republican primary for U.S. Senate. As of mid-2026 campaign reports, Braun had $3.1 million on hand for his anticipated 2028 reelection bid, and Rokita had $1.6 million.
