A high school English teacher in Maine is under investigation by both law enforcement and school authorities after making social media posts advocating for violence against President Donald Trump and his supporters.
JoAnna St. Germain, who is employed at Waterville Senior High School in Waterville, Maine, began posting a series of threatening messages on Facebook starting Tuesday, April 29. In her initial post, St. Germain urged 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 remarks by asserting she was not advocating for assassination because she does not recognize Trump as legitimately elected. She claimed that Trump “has shamelessly bragged openly about stealing the election” and “is making plans to give himself a third term,” as reported by multiple sources.
The teacher elaborated further in her post, stating she would resort to violence herself if she had the capability. 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 immediate backlash to her posts, rather than issuing an apology, St. Germain reinforced her stance in subsequent messages. She clarified that she was not advocating for the deaths of all Republicans but specifically those within Trump’s inner circle.
She informed her Facebook followers that she made the statements with full awareness of potential professional repercussions. In a follow-up post, she wrote: “I believe Trump and every sycophant he has surrounded himself with needs to die,” and likened 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 caught the attention of authorities. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed awareness of St. Germain’s statements but declined further comment, stating, “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.”
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.