A high school English teacher has sparked outrage after calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump and his supporters in a series of incendiary Facebook posts.
JoAnna St. Germain, who teaches at Waterville Senior High School, made these controversial statements last week, urging the United States Secret Service to take lethal action against the President and his allies.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, St. Germain wrote, The Secret Service has the perfect opportunity, if they choose to step up and take it. You are the ones with the power. Coordinate. Take out every single person who supports Trumps illegal, immoral, unconstitutional acts. She further elaborated, Im talking about Americans recognizing a fascist dictatorship and standing against it. Secret Service, you are Americans. My beloved military, you are Americans. We, the people, are counting on you. If I had the skill set required, I would take them out myself.
According to American Military News, St. Germain attempted to clarify her position by stating she was not talking about assassinating a president since a president is a person duly elected by the American people. However, she accused Trump of having bragged about stealing the election. Despite the potential consequences, St. Germain doubled down on her statements in a subsequent post on Wednesday, saying, I posted knowing Id likely lose my job and benefits. I have zero shame about what Ive said. Im not backtracking a single thing. She added, I believe Trump and every sycophant he has surrounded himself with needs to die.
The teacher acknowledged the backlash her comments have received, noting that people were quite angry with her for stating openly that Trump and his cronies need to die. In response to the criticism, she defiantly stated, If youre mad at this post, knowing that I just threw away a decade of experience teaching the truth, fully knowing that my superintendent will have to fire me? If youre mad that Im speaking truth to power? F-ck you.
In light of these alarming statements, Waterville Public Schools Superintendent Peter Hallen issued an emailed statement, as shared by The Maine Wire. Hallen assured the public that he has taken measures to ensure safety and is actively investigating the incident in collaboration with the appropriate authorities. While I cannot comment on personal matters, I assure you that due process and the safety of our students and staff are my highest priority, Hallen stated.
St. Germain responded to Hallens remarks with another social media post, asserting, To be clear, publicly: I knew what I was doing when I did it. Im not the least f-cking sorry. The Maine Wire also shared a picture of St. Germain on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside a screenshot of one of her controversial posts.
The situation raises significant concerns about the role of educators in shaping young minds and the boundaries of free speech, especially when it involves calls for violence. As the investigation unfolds, the community and authorities must grapple with the implications of such rhetoric and its impact on public discourse.
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