Utah teacher sparks outrage with tweet calling for the deaths of Republican senators 'the next time a President incites a riot at the Capitol'
A Utah high school teacher who tweeted that he wishes 'more Republican senators are killed’ if a president incites a riot at the United States Capitol sparked outrage among parents who are now demanding that he be fired.
Brian Townsend, a humanities teacher at Parowan High School in Parowan, Utah, posted the tweet on February 13 - the same day that the Senate voted to acquit former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial.
‘I only hope that the next time a president incites a riot at the Capitol more Republican senators are killed,' Townsend tweeted that day.
A total of 57 senators - including 50 Democrats and seven Republicans - voted to convict Trump for inciting the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6.
But 43 Republican senators voted to acquit, meaning that the vote count fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump.
Brian Townsend, a humanities teacher at Parowan High School in Parowan, Utah, is being investigated by the Iron County School District in Iron County, Utah for a controversial tweet that he posted on February 13
‘I only hope that the next time a president incites a riot at the Capitol more Republican senators are killed,' Townsend's tweet read
Mitt Romney, a US senator from Townsend's home state of Utah, was one of the seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump.
Townsend’s tweet was shared on Wednesday by Lisa Sunny Carter, who is a member of a Facebook group made up of Iron County public school parents.
An email message to Townsend’s official account at Iron County School District was unable to be sent, apparently because the account may have been deactivated.
Townsend’s tweet was posted on Wednesday by Lisa Sunny Carter, who is a member of a Facebook group made up of Iron County public school parents
Carter wrote that the tweet was 'not appropriate for a history teacher' and that Townsend should 'keep your political socialist views to yourself'
Parowan High School in Parowan, Utah is seen in the above file photo. The Iron County School District released a statement saying it is investigating the matter
Carter said she became aware of the tweet after she overheard her daughter and her friends discussing it.
‘I am very upset about this I hope this doesn't offend anyone but this is my 14 year old daughter's history teacher and yes I believe in the freedom of speech but this him allowing young children to follow him where they see this bull cr** is ridiculous,’ Carter wrote on her Facebook page on Thursday.
‘It's another form of pushing the Socialist agenda on to our children and I really feel like he should be terminated that is my opinion because yes you don't have to agree with a politician one way or the other but to speak of violence and to speak of murder on a social media platform that your students in your classroom are reading and commenting and thinking about this is completely really upsetting me today.’
‘I’m shaking,’ Carter told Cedar City News.
‘Not only did he post something inappropriate, but his students can see.’
Email messages addressed to Townsend's official account at Iron County School District bounced back, suggesting that the account was deactivated
The Iron County School District released a statement on Wednesday which read: ‘We’ve only recently become aware of these tweets.
‘In light of the impact on the educational process and on Iron County School District, we are reviewing with legal counsel our appropriate response and we are investigating the matter.
‘His statements do not represent a statement or the opinions of the Iron County School District.
‘In fact, the school district ensures that where it may be a matter of free speech we are very serious about protecting free speech.
‘However, all matters that affect the educational system adversely are not protected and above all we want to make sure that the educational process and the education for our students is protected.’
Carter alleged that Townsend has been ‘in trouble’ before the tweet.
A total of 57 senators - including 50 Democrats and seven Republicans - voted to convict Trump for inciting the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. But 43 Republican senators voted to acquit, meaning that the vote count fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump. Trump supporters are seen above after breaching the Capitol on January 6
In February 2020, a woman was arrested for allegedly punching a teacher at Parowan High School in the chest.
The woman, Nikell Judd, was taken into custody after she grew angry over the way the teacher was treating her daughter and ‘just snapped.’
The arrest report does not mention Townsend, though Judd told Cedar City News that he was indeed the teacher involved.
According to the probable cause statement, Townsend was ‘acting in the scope of his profession’ at the time of the incident, which was during school hours.
Judd pleaded guilty in abeyance and the charges against her were eventually dismissed.
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