Maine school board brawl over teacher’s Charlie Kirk remarks

A Maine school board meeting erupted in chaos when a conservative influencer confronted officials over a teacher’s remarks allegedly mocking slain activist Charlie Kirk.

The shouting match ended with a board member slapping the man’s phone from his hand — and police rushing to intervene, video of the meeting showed.

Tim Bodnar — known online as the “Truth-slinger” — blasted members of Regional School Unit 67 Wednesday, accusing the district of spreading “communist propaganda” and demanding swift action against the teacher.

The educator’s remarks have not been made public and they were not named. The teacher was placed on leave last week, according to local station WGME.

As Bodnar spoke, board chair Dianne Buck as she tried to restore order with her gavel.

“You can bang that all you want, lady,” Bodnar, who has more than 30,000 followers on social media, sneered at the Daily Mail reported.

Bodnar, who was wearing an American flag cowboy hate, then escalated the confrontation, calling Buck a “foul, evil woman” and demanding counseling for students he said were hurt by the teacher’s comments about Kirk’s death.

That’s when board member Andrew Funaro jumped to her defense.

“Don’t you insult that woman,” Funaro shot back, video of the meeting showed.

The livestream then briefly cut out. When the feed resumed, Funaro could be seen in the footage slapping Bodnar’s phone out of his hand before police stepped in.

Rattled board members then voted by a show of hands to adjourn the meeting.

Funaro defended his actions Saturday in a statement to The Post.

“I am a Conservative and a great admirer of Charlie Kirk,” he said. “I cannot speak for the Board but in my opinion any teacher who celebrates political violence in the classroom should be fired.”

Funaro called Bodnar a “known provocateur,” saying he agreed with Bodnar’s views on Kirk but condemned his tactics. 

“It poisons the well for people who are actually doing the work to get indoctrination out of our schools like Charlie Kirk wanted,” he added.

“Though I disagree with my fellow Board members on many things, when it comes to a public menace invading our High School library, I will defend. I have total faith that the Board will do the right thing.”

RSU 67 Superintendent Chris Downing told families in a Sept. 12 letter the district was reviewing the case involving an employee and “carefully considering the next steps.”

He added the district “does not condone violence of any type” and that schools remain safe.

Bodnar, who could not be reached for comment, later bragged online, posting slow-motion video of the phone slap.

“RSU #67 Schoolboard Member Andrew Funaro loses all composure during a Lincoln Schoolboard meeting at the Mattanawcook Academy,” he wrote on X. “Notice he almost HIT ME.”

In another post, he blasted local officials: “Lots of people afraid … not just me … RSU#67 is a JOKE. The Town of Lincoln isn’t looking too good at the moment either.”

The Lincoln police chief told WABI the incident is under investigation.

The district, which covers Lincoln, Chester and Mattawamkeag, an area about 45 minutes north of Bangor, has not released further details about the teacher or the review.

Nationwide, educators have faced probes, suspensions and even firings in recent days over remarks about Kirk’s killing.

In New Jersey, fifth-grade teacher Elizabeth Clark resigned this week after sparking outrage with a Facebook post about Kirk’s assassination that read, “Some people have to die – buh bye.”