SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. — A Spartanburg County teacher’s aide has filed a federal lawsuit against Spartanburg District Five, saying she was fired for exercising her right to free speech.

Lauren Vaughn worked for six years at River Ridge Elementary as a teacher’s aide. According to the lawsuit, she had positive evaluations, no disciplinary history, and was named Support Staff Employee of the Year in 2021.

Earlier this fall, Vaughn was placed on leave and then fired. The district cited its social media policy, which requires employees to “always represent the District in the best light.”

The termination came after Vaughn shared a private Facebook post on the day conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was killed. The post included a statement Kirk had previously made about gun rights, sayi

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