Staff at a Scarborough primary school found themselves in hot water this week after a graphic video was allegedly shown to students depicting the violent assassination of prominent right-wing provocateur, Charlie Kirk.
In a letter sent to parents on Friday, the school admits that the video was believed to have been shown once by a staff member who was supervising a French immersion class of Grade 5 and 6 students, and not the homeroom teacher.
“During class, students were said to have been shown a portion of a violent video in response to questions being asked about a recent tragic event in the United States,” Jennifer Koptie, principal at Corvette Junior Public School wrote in the letter.
“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 added.
Kirk was shot to death on Sept. 10 at an event on a college campus in Utah. Two days later police arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in connection with the shooting and took him into custody. He is due in court next week.
Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump. He led an effort to remake the GOP’s get-out-the-vote effort in the 2024 election based on the theory that there were thousands of Trump supporters who rarely vote but could be persuaded to do so.
Kirk also was known for provocative statements on race and gender that he used to court Gen Z voters. His killing was the latest in a string of attacks on U.S. political figures that have targeted members of both major parties.
As for Corvette Junior Public School, its principal says immediate steps have been taken to follow all appropriate policies and procedures.
“The teacher has been relieved of all teaching responsibilities pending the outcome of the investigation and will not be at the school,” Koptie wrote. “I also want to assure you that our top priority is supporting students.”
“Social work support has been made available to the school today, and I will be visiting the class along with a member of our social work team to check in with students and provide support,” she added.
Representatives for Robinson could not be reached for comment.
– With files from the Associates Press.
