The principal of a school in Toronto’s east end says a teacher has been temporarily suspended after showing students a video related to the shooting of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In a letter sent to parents on Friday, Jennifer Koptie, the principal of Corvette Junior Public School in Scarborough, says students in a Grade 5/6 class were “shown a portion of a violent video” after being asked about a “recent tragic event in the United States” the day before.
A spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board confirmed the video mentioned in the letter was related to Kirk’s death.
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Kirk was the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, as well as a podcaster and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
He was fatally shot Wednesday while speaking at an outdoor event at a Utah college campus.
Videos that have circulated on social media show Kirk being shot in the neck, with blood gushing from the wound.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested in the case.
In her letter to parents, Koptie says the individual who has been suspended was not the students’ homeroom teacher, but a staff member supervising the class.
“While an investigation must still be conducted to learn all of the details, the report of this incident is extremely troubling and completely unacceptable,” she wrote.
Koptie says the staff member has been relieved of all teaching responsibilities and will not return to the school until the investigation is complete. A social worker was available to students on Friday, she added.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
