Following the death of Kobe Bryant, a high school principal from Washington suggested that the NBA icon “deserved” to die because of the past rape allegations against him. That principal has since reportedly been placed on administrative leave after she received numerous threats. According to The Columbian, Principal Liza Sejkora took to Facebook, after the news of Bryant’s death was reported, and wrote, “Not gonna lie, seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today.” On Tuesday, the Camas School District superintendent issued a statement, announcing that Sejkora had been placed on leave “in light of threats to … Sejkora and concern from our community.”
After her initial post received a lot of backlash, Sejkora added in a follow-up post, “You are free to judge me for the post just as I am free to judge the person the post was about.”
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Eventually, Sejkora issued an apology statement to the parents of the Camas High School students, writing, “You may be aware that a copy of a social media post I made on my personal Facebook page is circulating digitally in our community. Today, I apologized to my staff, and now I apologize to you.
She continued: “On January 26 after news broke Kobe Bryant’s death, I made a comment to my private social media which was a personal, visceral reaction. I want to apologize for suggesting that a person’s death is deserved. It was inappropriate and tasteless. Further, I apologize for the disruption it caused to our learning environment today.
“In education, we remind students to think before they post online, especially when feelings are inflamed. We also teach our students about context. My emotions and past experiences got the best of me in that moment. We also teach our students that what we share online has permanency.
“While what I wrote was posted on a private Facebook account to people who are my friends and was quickly removed, I acknowledge that private does not always mean private. I love being principal at Camas High School. We have tremendous students, staff, and community. I’ve learned an important lesson and I hope that I can earn your trust back.”
According to KGW8, some of the students have been skeptical of Sejkora’s apology, with one senior saying, “”It’s just really insensitive. There’s no real position for her to say that. Especially when she’s in such a place of power that she is right now. She represents the school and that’s how everyone’s gonna see this town and this school.”
The helicopter crash that killed Bryant also claimed the lives of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other individuals. It has since been ruled an accident.
