A school board in eastern Maine has unanimously voted to dismiss a high school teacher after comments he made to students about the shooting death of Charlie Kirk sparked protests anger and a broader community backlash.
The RSU 67 School Board which serves Lincoln Mattawamkeag and Chester voted on Dec. 17 to fire Mattanawcook Academy social studies teacher Derek Brewer. The decision followed an executive session and stemmed from remarks Brewer made in September shortly after Kirk was assassinated.
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In the weeks after Kirk’s killing teachers in Maine and across the country came under scrutiny for how they addressed the shooting in classrooms. In this case Brewer’s comments triggered protests by parents and led to a chaotic school board meeting in September that ultimately ended with a board member resigning.
Board Chair Rebecca Hanscom said Brewer spoke about the shooting during class the day after Kirk was killed and crossed district policy by turning his classroom into what she described as a personal forum.
“On Sept. 11, 2025, one day after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, Mattanawcook Academy social studies teacher Derek Brewer told one of his freshman social studies classes that, number one, he didn’t care that Charlie Kirk had died; and, number two, he found it ironic that Charlie Kirk was shot, referencing a video clip he had seen in which Charlie Kirk stated that a few people have to be shot in order to protect Second Amendment rights,” Hanscom said during the Dec. 17 meeting.
Hanscom told the board the remarks caused a sharp loss of trust within the school community. Since Sept. 11 she said 17 families refused to let their children attend Brewer’s class. As word spread 99 students were marked with unexcused absences or early dismissals.
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Several parents have since pulled their children out of the district entirely to homeschool them Hanscom said.
She said those actions combined with Brewer’s policy violation led the board to conclude he was “unfit to teach, and his services are unprofitable to RSU 67.”
Hanscom did not respond to a follow up request for comment.
The fallout also reached the board itself. On Oct. 1 the district announced the resignation of board member Andrew Funaro. He stepped down after slapping a phone out of the hand of social media influencer Tim Bodnar during the Sept. 17 board meeting. The confrontation happened after Bodnar accused the board of not acting quickly enough in response to Brewer’s comments.