A high school English teacher in Maine is under investigation by law enforcement and school officials after posting messages on social media advocating violence against President Donald Trump and his supporters.
JoAnna St. Germain, an educator at Waterville Senior High School in Waterville, Maine, began posting inflammatory statements on Facebook on Tuesday, April 29, 22025. 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 stated 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 comments by asserting that she was not supporting assassination, as she did not consider Trump to be legitimately elected. She claimed that Trump “has shamelessly bragged openly about stealing the election” and “is making plans to give himself a third term,” according to multiple sources.
The teacher elaborated on her post, indicating she would resort to violence herself if she had the capability. St. Germain wrote, “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.”
Despite the backlash, St. Germain reinforced her stance in later posts. She clarified that she was targeting Trump’s inner circle, not all Republicans.
She informed her Facebook audience that she was aware of the potential professional repercussions of her statements. In a follow-up post, she wrote: “I believe Trump and every sycophant he has surrounded himself with needs to die,” and equated the administration to Nazi Germany, according to reports on her posts.
In another post, she accepted that her superintendent “will have to fire me” but maintained she had “zero shame about what I’ve said.”
The posts quickly garnered attention from authorities. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed they knew of St. Germain’s statements but did not comment further, stating, “As a matter of practice, we do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence.”
Waterville Police Chief William Bonney addressed the matter in a statement, acknowledging that the Waterville Police Department was aware of a social media post reportedly made by a Waterville School Department employee regarding supporters of President Donald Trump. While he refrained from commenting on ongoing matters, Chief Bonney emphasized that the department had collaborated with federal law enforcement partners and the school to ensure community safety, particularly focusing on protecting young people.
Waterville Public Schools Superintendent Peter Hallen issued an audio broadcast to families on Wednesday, acknowledging the incident. Hallen stated that measures were in place to ensure safety and that the situation was actively being investigated in collaboration with the relevant authorities.
According to students at the high school, St. Germain was not present in her classroom as of Thursday. Seniors confirmed that the teacher had been absent on Wednesday and Thursday following her posts.
The local community has expressed concern over the incident. Stevie Black, a Waterville public school system parent, told local media, “Honestly, it made me uncomfortable. Because that’s somebody that’s teaching our children.”
Another Waterville parent, Joe Labbe, reported contacting St. Germain after viewing 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.”
School officials have not publicly disclosed whether any disciplinary action has been taken against St. Germain. As of Thursday evening, the school’s website still listed her as an English teacher.
This incident occurs amid heightened political tensions across the United States, with increased concerns about political rhetoric and threats against public officials.
