JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A city-appointed official who labored for the Jacksonville Public Schooling Fund, or JPEF, is now not employed by the group after making social media posts that had been broadly interpreted as justifying the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The official, Leofric Thomas Jr., was faraway from the JPEF following strain from council members, state lawmakers and the general public. Thomas additionally faces calls from metropolis council members to be faraway from his metropolis appointment on the Public Service Grants Council.
Council President Kevin Carrico stated he’s submitting laws to take away Thomas from his put up and referred to as on his colleagues and Mayor Donna Deegan to affix him in supporting the “swift measure.”
As Council President, I will probably be submitting laws to take away Leofric Thomas Jr. from his place. I name on my colleagues and @MayorDeegan to affix me in supporting this swift measure. This hateful rhetoric has no place in Jacksonville. https://t.co/EKW4CzHTnJ
— Kevin Carrico (@CMKevinCarrico) September 11, 2025
Thomas’ now-deleted put up learn: “While you spew hate it’s what you get again. Charlie spewed nothing however hate, so what he acquired again, was….. yeah,” including a shrug emoji.
In an announcement despatched to First Coast Information, Thomas apologized for the posts and stated they had been “taken out of context.”
“My unique put up was by no means meant to indicate that Mr. Kirk deserved what occurred to him,” Thomas stated within the assertion, including that he doesn’t condone violence.
He defined that a few of Kirk’s previous statements had “deeply disturbed” him.
After initially stating it was dealing with the matter “internally,” the JPEF later confirmed in a follow-up assertion to First Coast Information that “Mr. Thomas is now not with our group.”
Councilman Rory Diamond additionally referred to as for Thomas’s elimination, describing his feedback as “disgusting.”
The Florida Division of Schooling individually introduced plans to analyze lecturers who’ve commented on the loss of life of Charlie Kirk, 31-year-old founding father of Turning Level USA who was shot and killed at Utah Valley College on Wednesday.
