Chicago principal portrays teacher who mocked Charlie Kirk’s assassination as victim in email to parents

Lucy Martinez, a teacher at Nathan Hale Elementary School, was filmed at a “No Kings” protest on Saturday making a gesture of firing a gun at her own neck, seemingly referencing Kirk’s murder. Video went viral after being shared on social media, with one angle of the incident showing she was reacting to a truck displaying a flag with Kirk’s name and the word “hero.”

Following the incident, Hale Elementary principal Dawn Iles-Gomez sent an email to parents portraying Martinez as a victim, without addressing the teacher’s behavior. The message was shared online by Turning Point USA’s Andrew Kolvet, who called for Martinez to be fired, saying she has “no business being around children.”

In the email, Iles-Gomez wrote, “Safety continues to be my top priority, which is why I am writing to follow up on a situation regarding social media posts that included potentially threatening language to a staff member. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is continuing to investigate this situation, and will continue providing our school with extra support during arrival and dismissal until that investigation is complete.”

She added, “I apologize if anyone had trouble getting through to our main office by phone today. Many calls were coming in from beyond our school community, but we hope that these will subside soon. In addition, our school's website and X account remain paused for now due to the use of inappropriate language by individuals not connected to Hale. These will be restored as soon as we feel that it is in the best interest of our school community.”

The nationwide “No Kings” protests on Saturday featured multiple instances of demonstrators celebrating Kirk’s killing, including one person reportedly dressed as Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating the conservative commentator.