CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Several prominent Virginia Republicans are expressing outrage over social media posts that appear to come from two Chesterfield County school leaders in the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
State Sen. Glen Sturtevant Jr. (R–Chesterfield) said the posts—though not yet publicly confirmed by their authors—were unacceptable.
“Sure looks like it’s them, and if it’s not, I’d love to hear from them saying they did not post these awful, terrible things,” Sturtevant said. “It’s not acceptable. It can’t continue.”
Posts Circulating Online
As reported Thursday by CBS 6, one private Facebook post, apparently from Chesterfield Dean of Students Alana Hartman Hall, read:
“When you promote violence and advocate for a percentage of teachers and students to be sacrificed to school shootings. You reap what you sow.”
A second post circulating online is a screenshot of an Instagram Story from the private account of Chesterfield School Board Member Dot Heffron.
It read: “Call me old fashioned, but I remember when we used to be okay with shooting Nazis.”
The Chesterfield County Public Schools division released a statement later Thursday, saying in part:
“The school division has been made aware of certain social media posts made by staff members that do not reflect the values and expectations of Chesterfield County Public Schools… While employees may express personal opinions, we expect all staff to maintain the highest standards of professionalism. Division leadership are reviewing the matter.”
The statement did not name the employees, but acknowledged more than one post.
Calls for Firings and Resignations
Sturtevant condemned both messages, saying those who posted them should not remain in leadership.
“To have someone who can promote and celebrate the assassination—gunning down a 31-year-old father with young kids—for talking about things that half the country agrees with is sick, it’s scary,” he said. “These are not folks that should be in charge of the education and the day-to-day safety of our kids in our public schools.”
In a statement provided to CBS 6 Friday afternoon, the other four members of the Chesterfield County School Board called for Heffron's immediate resignation.
The Chesterfield County School Board has been made aware of a social media post made by one of our colleagues. This post is deeply concerning and does not reflect the values, standards, or expectations of the Chesterfield County School Board.
As elected officials, we are bound by our governance policies and a responsibility to model respect and professionalism for the students, staff, and families we serve. This post is in direct violation of those standards.
In light of this violation of trust and governance, we are calling for Dorothy Heffron's resignation from the Chesterfield County School Board, effective immediately.
Our focus remains, as always, on ensuring the best possible educational environment for all Chesterfield County students.
The Shooting of Charlie Kirk
Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday while appearing at an event on the Utah Valley University campus.
Authorities announced Thursday night that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, of Utah, had been arrested after his father recognized him from surveillance images and urged him to turn himself in.
According to Fox 13 in Utah, Robinson registered as an unaffiliated voter in 2021 and did not vote in the last two election cycles.
Kirk, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, was a polarizing figure whose killing has drawn bipartisan condemnation.
“We must learn to disagree without becoming violently disagreeable,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock (D–Georgia).
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who hosted Kirk on his podcast last year, posted on X, calling the attack “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”
Deepening Political Divisions
Despite calls for civility, some opponents of Kirk publicly celebrated his death.
Political observers worry the killing could further inflame partisan divides.
In a lengthy Facebook post following Kirk’s death, State Del. Nick Freitas (R–Culpeper) described the political climate as a “war between diametrically opposed worldviews which cannot peacefully coexist.” He said Kirk sought to fight that battle “through argumentation, through discussion, through peaceful resolution of differences—and the other side murdered him.”
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott pushed back, saying Freitas had no evidence linking Kirk’s killing to political opponents.
“I know Nick Freitas—I actually like Nick Freitas. He is a combat veteran. He wore the cloth of this nation,” Scott said in a statement. “I admire his ability to connect with people, but on this one, he is wrong—he must be wrong. We can peacefully coexist—we must peacefully coexist.”
The Chesterfield school division has not announced whether any disciplinary actions will be taken regarding the alleged posts.
CBS 6 political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth said he believed the issue could impact upcoming statewide elections.
"Regardless of their personal political opinions, it’s the responsibility of individuals who work with children and govern our schools to be a model for defending Democracy and tamping down political violence, not justifying it," Holsworth said. "It would be surprising if the GOP candidates did not call attention to these remarks and demand a response from Spanberger."
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