My name is J. Marie Brookreson. For over 20 years, I have dedicated my life to Texas public schools as a teacher and administrator. Today, I am fighting not just for my career, but for the fundamental right of every American to speak freely without fear of state-sponsored retaliation.

On September 10, 2025, following news of yet another tragic school shooting, I posted a simple, private message on my personal Facebook page: "Thoughts and prayers." When an acquaintance mentioned Charlie Kirk in the comments, I responded with a "thumbs-up" emoji to acknowledge that he, too, was a victim of the day’s violence. It was a neutral interaction on a private profile.

The subsequent retaliation and infringement of speech was a terrifying experience. A Texas State Representative—a government official—took screenshots of my private post and launched a targeted, public campaign against me. He didn’t just disagree with me; he used his massive platform to falsely claim I "mocked" violence.

By tagging my employer, sharing my professional contact information, and urging his followers to demand my firing, this representative weaponized his government office to infringe upon my First Amendment rights. He used the power of the state to orchestrate the destruction of my livelihood in retaliation for private speech he chose to mischaracterize.

The Impact Within hours, I was placed on leave. Shortly after, the school board voted 7–0 to propose my termination. Beyond the loss of my career, I have faced a barrage of death threats, harassment, and false accusations regarding my family and my classroom conduct.

I am filing a lawsuit for defamation, tortious interference, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. This case is about more than just my job; it is about a dangerous precedent. If a state representative can use their office to "cancel" a private citizen for a private social media post, then free speech no longer exists for public servants.

How Can You Help? Taking on a powerful political figure is an expensive and daunting task. I am seeking to raise funds to cover:

Legal Fees: To retain the counsel necessary to fight this in a Texas court.

Discovery Costs: To uncover the full extent of the communications between the Representative’s office and the district.

Professional Defense: To protect my TEA certifications against these politically motivated attacks.

Every donation, no matter the size, is a stand for the First Amendment and a statement that government officials cannot use their power to silence or destroy the lives of the citizens they represent.

Thank you for standing with me.