The Democratic school board chairman has been criticized for a Facebook post by another person following Kirk’s murder last week.
FARMINGTON, CT — The chairman of the Farmington Board of Education is taking heat for a post on his Facebook page last week in the wake of the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Last week, Farmington Board of Education Chairman Bill Beckert, a Democrat, had on his Facebook feed a comment from another poster simply stating “You Reap What You Sow.”
The situation brought many to Monday’s school board meeting, where some spoke in support of Berkert, while others criticized him.
The controversial Kirk, 31, was shot and killed Sept. 10 in front of a crowd of college students in Utah last week, allegedly by a 22-year-old suspect believed to be tied to an alt-right organization.
Kirk himself was a controversial figure for his support of President Donald Trump and deeply conservative ideologies that critics contended were racist, misogynistic, and promoted gun violence.
Monday, in a statement issued by the school board and signed by Farmington Board of Education Vice Chairperson Andrea Sobinski, also a Democrat, his colleagues offered support.
According to the school board letter, Beckert’s personal Facebook page “included an inappropriate and offensive post from another individual’s Facebook account.”
“Our hearts are with Charlie Kirk’s loving family at this time of unimaginable loss and sorrow. As a board of education committed to serving our community with excellence and care, we condemn the targeted and unspeakable act of political violence and all acts of senseless violence that result in loss of precious lives,” wrote Sobinski in the statement.
“This horrific act took place on a college campus, which is deeply distressing to us as we send our students off to college campuses across our country each year. At all times, schools and universities must be places of safety, care, and well-being.
“As a board of education, we serve as role models of civil discourse, open-mindedness, respect, and deep care for all people on behalf of our students and our community; a role we are honored to serve and take very seriously.
“The Farmington Board of Education has heard and understands the concerns and reactions we have received related to the social media post.
“We are stewards of the Farmington school district, and at all times we hold ourselves and one another accountable for promoting safety and care for all.
“As a board of education, we want to make it clear that we do not condone any messages, words or actions that promote violence of any kind or minimize the loss of precious and beloved human lives.”
On Saturday, Beckert himself issued a statement denying that he made the post.
He claimed he did not know how the “Reap What You Sow” post ended up on his account.
“While I can tell you with certainty that I did not make any offensive posts and that I do not know how it came to be associated with my Facebook account, I know that I intend to continue to lead by example for my community, which expects and deserves nothing less,” he said in a statement Saturday, Sept. 13.
Beckert decried the gruesome killing of Kirk.
“What happened to Charlie Kirk is abhorrent and disgusting, and against everything I believe in about our community and our country. Let me be clear. I reject political violence, and my heart is broken for his family,” Beckert said.
“I have spent the better part of the last 20 years working to make our community and our world a better place. There is nothing in my history of public service that would suggest that I would condone political violence in any form.”
The situation last week grabbed the attention of the Connecticut Republican Party, which posted a screenshot of a Beckert Facebook post that appears to be a re-post of another individual’s post stating, “They Reap What They Sow.”
State GOP leaders lashed out at Beckert over the appearance of that post.
“As the official responsible for the education of Farmington’s children, you’d expect Mr. Beckert to show restraint and basic decency,” said Connecticut Republican Party Chairman Ben Proto in a statement.
“Instead, he celebrated the brutal murder of a young husband and father of two, whose only ‘crime’ was having an opinion. That is grotesque. It is a betrayal of the values every educator and public servant should embody.”
“Charlie Kirk held firm beliefs grounded in faith and love of country. He never called for violence. He challenged ideas with reason and debate, and he always gave others the chance to speak,” Proto continued.
“Bill Beckert, by contrast, seems to believe those who disagree with him deserve to be silenced — permanently. His words read like an endorsement of political violence. Farmington parents and taxpayers must ask themselves: is this the example they want for their children?”
“Farmington deserves leadership that teaches students to win arguments with ballots, not bullets,” Proto concluded.
“Charlie Kirk lived that principle. Chairman Beckert’s statement shows he rejects it. The community must decide which lesson it wants its schools to teach.”
The post-Kirk assassination flap in Farmington mirrors similar situations nationally regarding the controversial political figure, as reactions to Kirk’s killing have been split along ideological lines.
In nearby Simsbury, that town’s Democratic party last week was the subject of controversy when a phoney “Bluesky” social media post celebrating Kirk’s death was attributed to Simsbury Democrats.