A Maine faculty board assembly erupted in chaos when a conservative influencer confronted officers over a instructor’s remarks allegedly mocking slain activist Charlie Kirk.
The shouting match ended with a board member slapping the person’s cellphone from his hand — and police dashing to intervene, video of the assembly confirmed.
Tim Bodnar — recognized on-line because the “Reality-slinger” — blasted members of Regional College Unit 67 Wednesday, accusing the district of spreading “communist propaganda” and demanding swift motion towards the instructor.
The educator’s remarks haven’t been made public and so they weren’t named. The instructor was positioned on depart final week, in response to native station WGME.
As Bodnar spoke, board chair Dianne Buck as she tried to revive order together with her gavel.
“You may bang that every one you need, woman,” Bodnar, who has greater than 30,000 followers on social media, sneered on the Each day Mail reported.
Bodnar, who was carrying an American flag cowboy hate, then escalated the confrontation, calling Buck a “foul, evil lady” and demanding counseling for college kids he mentioned had been damage by the instructor’s feedback about Kirk’s loss of life.
That’s when board member Andrew Funaro jumped to her protection.
“Don’t you insult that lady,” Funaro shot again, video of the assembly confirmed.
The livestream then briefly minimize out. When the feed resumed, Funaro could possibly be seen within the footage slapping Bodnar’s cellphone out of his hand earlier than police stepped in.
Rattled board members then voted by a present of arms to adjourn the assembly.
Funaro defended his actions Saturday in a press release to The Submit.
“I’m a Conservative and an amazing admirer of Charlie Kirk,” he mentioned. “I can not communicate for the Board however in my view any instructor who celebrates political violence within the classroom needs to be fired.”
Funaro known as Bodnar a “recognized provocateur,” saying he agreed with Bodnar’s views on Kirk however condemned his techniques.
“It poisons the properly for people who find themselves truly doing the work to get indoctrination out of our colleges like Charlie Kirk wished,” he added.
“Although I disagree with my fellow Board members on many issues, on the subject of a public menace invading our Excessive College library, I’ll defend. I’ve complete religion that the Board will do the correct factor.”
RSU 67 Superintendent Chris Downing informed households in a Sept. 12 letter the district was reviewing the case involving an worker and “rigorously contemplating the following steps.”
He added the district “doesn’t condone violence of any sort” and that colleges stay protected.
Bodnar, who couldn’t be reached for remark, later bragged on-line, posting slow-motion video of the cellphone slap.
“RSU #67 Schoolboard Member Andrew Funaro loses all composure throughout a Lincoln Schoolboard assembly on the Mattanawcook Academy,” he wrote on X. “Discover he nearly HIT ME.”
In one other put up, he blasted native officers: “A lot of individuals afraid … not simply me … RSU#67 is a JOKE. The City of Lincoln isn’t trying too good for the time being both.”
The Lincoln police chief informed WABI the incident is underneath investigation.
The district, which covers Lincoln, Chester and Mattawamkeag, an space about 45 minutes north of Bangor, has not launched additional particulars in regards to the instructor or the evaluation.
Nationwide, educators have confronted probes, suspensions and even firings in latest days over remarks about Kirk’s killing.
In New Jersey, fifth-grade instructor Elizabeth Clark resigned this week after sparking outrage with a Fb put up about Kirk’s assassination that learn, “Some individuals must die – buh bye.”
