District 300 school board member removed as president but avoids censure for Charlie Kirk post

A member of the Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300 school board who made a controversial comment on social media after Charlie Kirk’s death was stripped of her board president seat Thursday but avoided a formal censure.

Board member Nancy Zettler sparked a firestorm when she wrote in a Sept. 10 Facebook post that her initial reaction to Kirk’s murder was karma.

The school board held a special meeting Thursday night to consider possible action against Zettler. Board members voted 5-1 to remove her as board president. However, the board refused to vote on a measure to censure her.

Moments before the vote, Zettler said the district will get through the controversy regardless of what happened to her. She added that she remains steadfast in her support of District 300 students.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.

A packed crowd attended Thursday’s meeting, where the board heard nearly two hours of public comment.

Since Zettler’s post, the district has received more than 250 emails, 80 phone calls and eight Freedom of Information requests. Parents have also protested outside the district administration office.

During a school board meeting on Sept 23, Zettler defended herself, saying her post, shared on her private page, was “stolen” and then parts of it were shared on other public pages to make it appear that she was celebrating Kirk’s death.

Zettler said her post was about how she processed the news of Kirk’s death and how a post from a fellow Democrat — which focused on a theme of empathy — helped her sift through her emotions.

"Nancy Zettler deserves your full support," parent Jessica Jacob said Thursday night. "She did nothing unlawful; nothing that made her unfit to serve."

In removing Zettler as president, several board members said it was her reaction to criticism — not the Sept. 10 post — that led to their action.

Board members said they were disappointed by Zettler’s comments and demeanor during the Sept. 23 meeting. In addition to rolling her eyes at parents, Zettler said during that meeting that she would not apologize for her post and blamed “phony astro-turf” groups for the “manufactured disruption.”

“I was deeply disappointed by the statement she made at that meeting, choosing to make a statement that, in my opinion, was incendiary, added fervor to what was already an emotionally charged issue,” board member Leslie LeMarca said. “That action did not reflect effective, compassionate leadership.”

The resolution removing Zettler as board president states that “recent circumstances” made Zettler unable to fulfill the “leadership and collaborative responsibilities” of the board president and that Zettler’s continued role as president was “not in the best interests of the board.”

The resolution also acknowledged Zettler’s First Amendment rights and that the board did not intend to infringe on those rights.

“While we each have every right to our own political views … I strongly believe that political commentary and the use of partisan language should not come from board members while we are serving in our official capacity and most definitely not from behind the dais during one of our meetings,” board member Christine Birkett said, adding that school board positions are non-partisan. “In my opinion, Nancy’s statement (on Sept. 23) crossed this line.”

Supporters pointed to Zettler’s dedication to the district. Some called the controversy a “witch hunt” against her.

Still, other parents remained critical of her social media post and her statement at the Sept. 23 meeting, which many say only fueled the controversy.

"You may speak freely, absolutely," parent Holly Jarovsky said. "But we, the people you claim to represent, have every right to hold you accountable for your words, and your words do matter."

Zettler, who was first elected to the school board in 2019, had served as board president since May.

After removing Zettler as board president, the school board named Birkett as president and LaMarca as vice president. The two had previously served as vice president and secretary, respectively.

Board member Olutola Makinde was named board secretary.

Zettler declined to comment after Thursday’s meeting.