What happens when a school board’s push for order collides with raw public fury over a teacher’s words? That’s exactly what unfolded Wednesday night in Lincoln, Maine, where a routine meeting exploded into shouts, recesses, and a startling slap that sent a man’s phone flying across the room.
The chaos centered on Regional School Unit 67, which covers the rural towns of Lincoln, Chester, and Mattawamkeag. Tensions boiled over during public comments about Amy Bernhardt, a social studies teacher at Mattanawcook Academy, who went on paid leave last Friday after parents raised alarms over her online remarks about the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, a group that rallies young conservatives, died from a single gunshot during a campus speech in Utah on September 10. His assassin, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, surrendered two days later and now faces capital murder charges, with prosecutors vowing to pursue the death penalty.
Charlie Kirk’s death has ripped open national wounds, sparking vigils, threats, and a wave of scrutiny on anyone seen as downplaying it, including teachers across the country.
At the meeting, Tim Bodnar, a conservative activist from nearby Newport, grabbed the microphone and unleashed a torrent of demands. He called for Bernhardt’s immediate firing, blasting the board for what he saw as their sluggish response to her comments, which he claimed mocked the pain felt by students upset over Kirk’s slaying.
“I demand counseling for the kids who were hurt by Charlie Kirk’s death that she dissed,”
Bodnar thundered, his voice echoing off the library walls where the Maine school board sat in a tight U-shape under American flags.
He argued that free speech has limits when taxpayer dollars fund the job, and he wouldn’t tolerate what he labeled as LGBTQAI plus nonsense or teachers pushing ideologies he tied to calls for violence.
Board Chair Dianne Buck pounded her gavel repeatedly, her face tight as she ordered recesses to cool things down. But Bodnar pressed on, turning his ire directly at her:
“You’re a foul and evil woman. You’re a coward.”
Fellow board member Andrew Funaro defended Buck, telling Bodnar to back off because the group hadn’t even voted on the teacher’s fate yet.
The room filled with applause for Bodnar from some parents, while others shifted uneasily as police officers, already on hand for the heated crowd, flanked the podium.
Things broke after another speaker jumped the line, prompting more outbursts and a final push to adjourn. As Funaro moved toward the exit, Bodnar raised his phone, capturing the frenzy on video. That’s when Funaro swung, knocking the device from Bodnar’s grip in a flash that drew gasps and cries of “Oh!” from onlookers.
Officers quickly intervened, pulling the two men apart and escorting Bodnar out. The board then voted to end the session by a show of hands.
Lincoln police have opened an investigation into Funaro’s actions, treating it as a possible assault, though no charges have surfaced yet. Bodnar, who live-streamed the clash and later hailed it as a stand against “woke” overreach, has hinted at filing a complaint.
Meanwhile, RSU 67’s probe into Bernhardt rolls on, with district leaders stressing that educators must uphold high standards when shaping young minds. This flare-up mirrors a bigger storm sweeping U.S. schools since Kirk’s death, where teachers in states from California to Florida have lost jobs or faced backlash for similar statements.
