Olympia School District defends teacher’s free speech after controversial social media post

An Olympia High School teacher and former Yelm High School principal is facing backlash after sharing an Instagram post with the statement, “This teacher kills fascists.”

In the post, Ryan Akiyama said he planned to sport the message on his hydration pack during the recent Leavenworth SkyRace.

The caption read, “Flying this little flag on my hydration pack during the Leavenworth SkyRace this weekend. Might need to print it on a T-shirt next for all my fellow WOKE DEI educators still showing up with courage and care. Yes, I’m woke. Yes, I teach DEI. No, I’m not sorry if that triggers the willfully ignorant.”

Akiyama followed this post with a statement defending his message.

“Reading the wikipedia entries on vocabulary terms like “woke” “equity” “inclusion” might help deprogram the propaganda you’ve fallen prey to,” he wrote. “Public education is an inherently political act: not in service of any one creed (the direction the neo-fascists in the MAGA movement are driving) but in service of E PLURIBUS UNUM, All are created equal, and equal protection under the law. None of us teach so-called white guilt. Rock on, everyone!”

Akiyama’s posts and his account have since been deleted from Instagram.

Concern raised by commentator

Some have raised concerns about Akiyama’s statement declaring that he would “kill fascists.” Commentators said the teacher identified “fascists” to be supporters of the MAGA movement.

Brandi Kruse, conservative commentator and host of the show “unDivided,” said, “It’s not that I have a problem with killing fascists, it’s that I have a problem with a teacher saying he’s going to kill fascists, who he’s previously characterized really just as people who disagree with him politically.”

Under a Facebook post about Akiyama’s statement, Kruse attached a screenshot of a previous post Akiyama shared where he said, “Every day it becomes so increasingly necessary to speak out against the evil of the so-called MAGA movement and vile point of view espoused by Elon Musk…”

What does the school district say?

The Olympia School District has reacted in support of Akiyama’s right to post his views on his personal social media accounts.

“The Olympia School District respects the constitutionally protected rights of its staff and students, including employees’ First Amendment right to free speech,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement to the media. “As stated in District Policy 5254, the First Amendment protects employees’ right to express themselves freely, including on personal social media accounts.”

While the district said it does not monitor employees’ social media accounts, the statement also said the district may intervene if staff members’ online posts become disruptive toward district operations.

“Specifically, employee speech may be subject to regulation if it disrupts district operations or undermines the district’s ability to function effectively,” the spokesperson wrote. “These determinations are made on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with district policies and legal standards.”

The district has not released further comments on Akiyama’s post or on how administration plans to address concerns.

The statement said, “Students or parents with concerns are encouraged to contact the administration at Olympia High School.”

DUI charges and demotion in Yelm Community Schools

Ryan Akiyama is no stranger to controversy. In 2019, the former Yelm High School principal was arrested on suspicion of DUI, speeding, and possession of a weapon. His arrest prompted Yelm Community Schools to put him on paid leave several days after the incident.

The Olympian reported that Akiyama later pled guilty to reckless driving. Though he was placed on probation and ordered to pay a fine, he did not serve jail time. Akiyama was demoted from principal to teacher within Yelm Community Schools before becoming a teacher at Olympia High School.

This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 9:36 AM.