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2 Mass. teachers reportedly on leave for reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death
"Just a reminder, we're not offering sympathy," one of the teachers allegedly wrote in a personal Instagram.
Two Massachusetts teachers are on leave after sharing their reactions to the shooting death of influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk Wednesday, prompting a police presence at each district Thursday.
The superintendent of Wachusett Regional School District confirmed a teacher was placed on administrative leave after allegedly “making inappropriate comments” on her personal social media page.
“Please know that Wachusett Regional School District condemns violence in all forms. Political violence, especially, has no place in our country, and it directly contradicts our nation’s founding principles,” Superintendent James Reilly said in a statement, which did not name the teacher.
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Libs of TikTok, a popular far-right account, shared screenshots of post that purportedly showed a teacher with the district posted “Just a reminder, We’re NOT offering sympathy” as a story via a personal Instagram account.
The post had more than two million views as of Thursday evening. Holden police said while there were “no credible threats of violence” at WRHS, officers were present at the school Thursday.
Libs of TikTok also shared a video allegedly posted by a Framingham teacher who appeared to be singing “God Bless America” while a television news report covered Kirk’s death.
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“THIS person teaches YOUR children,” Libs of TikTok wrote, which is run by Chaya Raichik.
Robert Tremblay, the superintendent at Framingham Public Schools, confirmed to Boston.com that “employee is on leave pending an internal review.” He also did not name the teacher.
“We became aware of a social media post late last night and took immediate action,” Tremblay wrote. “As a District, we are committed to fostering a safe and respectful environment for everyone. We do not condone violence or hateful behavior in any form.”
Framingham police “provided additional resources” at King Elementary School, Tremblay said, but there were no disruptions.
Kirk was a contentious figure nationwide on campuses
Kirk, 31, was addressing a crowd of thousands Wednesday in Utah, which allows people to openly carry a gun on their public university campuses with very few exceptions, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. As seen on videos circulating on social media, he was shot in the neck while answering a question about gun violence.
Kirk, the founder of the nonprofit Turning Point USA, was a close ally of President Donald Trump, galvanizing a conservative youth movement and touring college campuses to debate college students, events which often drew protests.
He was a strong supporter of gun rights, acknowledging in 2023 that “some gun deaths every single year” are worth it to have the Second Amendment, the Guardian reported.
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He also believed the Civil Rights Act was a mistake, criticized Martin Luther King Jr., perpetuated antisemitic stereotypes, and was critical of gay and transgender rights, according to a New York Times round-up of his views.
Kirk was married to podcaster Erika Frantzve. They have two young children.
The FBI released photos of a person of interest related to the shooting Thursday afternoon.
“I can tell you this was a targeted event,” said Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City.
Correction: The Libs of TikTok account was founded and is run by Chaya Raichik, not Laura Loomer.
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