GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A former Gaston County Schools teacher who was fired after making a Facebook comment about conservative activist Charlie Kirk has filed a federal lawsuit against the district, alleging the district violated her constitutional right to free speech.
Holly Ackerman filed the lawsuit Tuesday against Gaston County Schools, the members of the Gaston County Board of Education, and Superintendent Morgen Houchard.
The lawsuit stems from Ackerman’s dismissal last year after she commented on Facebook following the shooting of Kirk.
Ackerman was hired in 2018 as a teacher assistant at Webb Street School. She later taught at Hunter Huss High School before returning to Webb Street School in 2025.
According to the complaint, Ackerman posted from her personal Facebook account while at home using her personal phone. After seeing a post that included one of Kirk’s previous statements about gun violence and the Second Amendment, Ackerman commented, “I can’t believe people are actually mourning this douchebag.”
The lawsuit says Ackerman believed the comment would only be visible to her Facebook friends. Screenshots of the comment spread on social media, and Ackerman’s lawsuit says people from outside of Gaston County contacted the district about the comments. Ackerman says she deleted the comment shortly afterward and apologized in messages to several people.
According to the lawsuit, Gaston County Schools suspended Ackerman the following day while investigating the post before recommending her dismissal later that month. The Gaston County Board of Education voted to terminate her employment following a hearing in November 2025.
The school district previously said Ackerman’s social media activity violated board policies. At the time, district officials said the post caused “significant disruption in the regular and efficient operation of the school and district-at-large.”
Ackerman says her Facebook comment didn’t disrupt school operations, interfere with her ability to teach, or affect her students.
Ackerman argues she was speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern while off duty and that her termination violated her rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
She’s suing for compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress, plus her attorney fees.
Channel 9 reached out to Gaston County Schools for comment on the lawsuit. We’ll update this article when more details are available.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
