A Kaukauna teacher has been placed on leave after a post circulated from his X account about the April 25 White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.
The post, from an account named @looper1973, said the poster was “not impressed with recent presidential assassins” and said the shooters of President Abraham Lincoln, President John F. Kennedy and others “must all be spinning in their graves.” It also said “MAGAA (make Americans great assassins again).” The X account has since been deleted. The account is believed to have belonged to Patrick Meyer, a social studies teacher at Kaukauna High School. According to state records, he has taught in the district for over 20 years.
Far-right social media personality Libs of TikTok reposted on X screenshots posted by @OzAndyTime, which claims to be based in Vietnam. One of the screenshots is from the @looper1973 X account, while the other appears to be a screenshot from the top of Meyer’s LinkedIn page. Screenshots have also been widely posted on other social media platforms.
Kaukauna school leadership said in an emailed statement that Meyer had been placed on administrative leave and that the district is taking “additional action to review the matter.”
“The Kaukauna Area School District is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students, families, and staff, and unequivocally rejects any conduct, expression, or behavior that may encourage, condone, or promote violence in any form,” the statement said.
The post has been widely circulated on social media, including local Facebook groups. Many of the posts included responses calling for Meyer’s firing and condemned him for the post, but he did have defenders, including some who said they were former students of his.
Several legislators have also commented on the incident, including state Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Two Rivers, who represents Kaukauna in the state Assembly. “Come on, Kaukauna. You are better than this,” he posted on social media, along with the screenshots.
State Rep. Ron Tusler, R-Harrison, whose district is south of Kaukauna, shared the image from Libs of TikTok and said, “I wouldn’t want him teaching my children.”
U.S. Rep Tony Wied also weighed in on social media, saying, “This type of disgusting rhetoric has no place in our society and does not represent our values in #WI08. It is not the example that our teachers should be setting for Northeast Wisconsin students.”
The Post-Crescent has reached out to Meyer for comment.
Meyer isn’t the only one facing scrutiny over a social media post relating to the shooting. Progressive activist and brewery owner Kirk Bangstad posted April 25 that “a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship” after the shooting. The Wisconsin Democratic Party, as well as several Democratic candidates for governor, condemned the post.
Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at rloroff@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Kaukauna teacher on leave over post about presidential assassins
Reporting by Rebecca Loroff, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
