A Maine high school English teacher is facing investigations from law enforcement and school officials after making multiple social media posts calling for violence against President Donald Trump and his supporters.
JoAnna St. Germain, who teaches at Waterville Senior High School in Waterville, Maine, posted a series of inflammatory messages on Facebook beginning Tuesday, April 29. In her initial post, St. Germain called on the Secret Service to take action against the president and his supporters.
“The Secret Service has the perfect opportunity, if they choose to step up and take it,” she wrote in the public post. “You are the ones with power. Coordinate. Take out every single person who supports Trump’s illegal, immoral, unconstitutional acts.”
St. Germain attempted to justify her statements by claiming she wasn’t advocating for assassination because she doesn’t consider Trump legitimately elected. She stated that Trump “has shamelessly bragged openly about stealing the election” and “is making plans to give himself a third term,” according to multiple sources.
The teacher went further in her post, indicating she would take violent action herself if capable. St. Germain wrote that “if I had the skill set required, I would take them out myself,” and added, “I’m making this post public for a reason, I promise you.”
Following the initial backlash to her posts, rather than apologizing, St. Germain doubled down in subsequent messages. She clarified that she was not calling for the deaths of all Republicans but specifically those in Trump’s inner circle.
She told her Facebook followers that she made the statements knowing there would be professional consequences. In a follow-up post, she wrote: “I believe Trump and every sycophant he has surrounded himself with needs to die,” and compared the administration to Nazi Germany, according to reporting on her posts.
In another post, she acknowledged that her superintendent “will have to fire me” but insisted she had “zero shame about what I’ve said.”
The posts quickly drew attention from authorities. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed awareness of St. Germain’s statements but declined further comment, saying, “As a matter of practice we do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence.”
Waterville Police Chief William Bonney acknowledged the situation in a statement, noting that the Waterville Police Department was aware of a social media post reportedly made by a Waterville School Department employee concerning supporters of President Donald Trump. While he refrained from commenting on active matters, Chief Bonney emphasized that the department had worked closely with federal law enforcement partners and the school to prioritize the safety of the entire community, with a particular focus on protecting young people.
Waterville Public Schools Superintendent Peter Hallen sent an audio broadcast message to families on Wednesday morning acknowledging the situation. Hallen stated that steps had been taken to ensure everyone’s safety and that, in collaboration with the appropriate authorities, the incident was being actively investigated.
As of Thursday, St. Germain was not in class, according to students at the high school. Seniors reported that the teacher had been absent Wednesday and Thursday following her posts.
The incident has shocked the local community. Stevie Black, a parent of a child in the Waterville public school system, told local media, “Honestly, it made me uncomfortable. Because that’s somebody that’s teaching our children.”
Another Waterville parent, Joe Labbe, said he reached out directly to St. Germain after seeing her posts. According to Labbe, St. Germain acknowledged during their conversation that she “no longer belongs in the classroom” because she “takes the news of the day so seriously that she’s not able to put it away.”
Tobin Thibeau, a senior at Waterville Senior High School, said students were generally upset by the situation, telling reporters, “I haven’t seen anyone who agreed with what was said.”
School officials have not publicly disclosed whether any disciplinary action has been taken against St. Germain. The school’s website still listed her as an English teacher as of Thursday evening.
This incident comes at a time of heightened political tensions across the United States, with rising concerns about political rhetoric and threats against public officials.
