Comments From English Teacher Prompts Investigation
In a rapidly escalating controversy that now involves both law enforcement and education officials, JoAnna St. Germain, a high school English teacher in Waterville, Maine, is under investigation for a series of highly inflammatory Facebook posts allegedly calling for the assassination of former President Donald Trump, his advisors, and supporters.
According to multiple reports, St. Germain appears to have urged the U.S. Secret Service and military to “take out” Trump and those surrounding him, citing their alleged support for unconstitutional acts. The language used in the posts is unmistakably direct and deeply disturbing, calling on authorities to take violent action — with the implication being that the ends justify the means.
Following public backlash, the Waterville school district and local police have opened investigations. The superintendent issued a letter to parents on Wednesday confirming an internal inquiry is underway. Meanwhile, law enforcement is reportedly reviewing the posts for possible violations of law — particularly those related to incitement and threats against public officials.
While St. Germain attempted to walk back the sweeping scope of her statements, claiming she wasn’t targeting all Republicans or Trump voters, she explicitly reaffirmed her call for the deaths of Trump’s top advisors and stated she was fully aware of the consequences: “I knew what I was doing when I did it. I’m not the least f***ing sorry.”
What began as political outrage has veered sharply into territory that many believe crosses the line into advocacy for political violence. St. Germain’s repeated comparisons of Trump and his team to Nazis, along with her framing of herself as a truth-teller unafraid of the consequences, raise serious ethical and legal questions about her continued role as an educator entrusted with young minds.
Equally troubling is her rhetoric toward the broader American system. In one post, she openly denounces the country’s institutions — from media to education to military service — in terms drenched in contempt, cynicism, and hostility.
While freedom of speech is constitutionally protected, calls for assassination and violent uprisings are not, and are subject to both civil and criminal scrutiny.
This incident has ignited intense debate over the role of educators in political discourse — and where the boundary lies between personal opinion and professional responsibility. For parents, the idea that someone so openly advocating violence could be in charge of shaping their children’s moral and intellectual development is cause for alarm.
The Maine school district has not yet announced whether St. Germain will be suspended or terminated, but her own comments suggest she believes her dismissal is inevitable. “I just threw away a decade of experience teaching the truth,” she wrote, while simultaneously daring her critics to challenge her stance.