Kane County Reporter

Community Unit School District 300 (CUSD 300) Board President Nancy Zettler is expected to face votes for her removal and formal censure at the school board meeting on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m., following her post on Facebook about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Zettler’s post, made after news of Kirk’s assassination at a Utah university, read: “Karma, it’s a $itch.”

Three other board members, including Patrick Malia, Tola Makinde and Leslie Lamarca, similarly drew scrutiny for “liking” Zettler’s post.

Board Member Steve Fiorentino calls on Community Unit School District 300 Board President Nancy Zettler to step down following her controversial Facebook post about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. | YouTube / CUSD 300

Kirk, an Illinois native, devout Christian and staunch conservative, launched Turning Point USA from a garage in Lemont, growing it into a nationwide organization with a presence on 3,500 college and university campuses. He was 31 at the time of his death.

At the Sept. 23 board meeting, the district’s legal representative reported receiving 250 emails, 80 phone calls and eight Freedom of Information Act requests in response to Zettler’s comment.

The comments drew immediate protest from community members and public figures at district offices. Demonstrators waved signs like “Remove Nancy Zettler — This Is About Our Kids!” and “Fire Nancy Zettler — She Is a Disgrace.”

Republican House District 66 candidate and longtime CUSD 300 teacher Laurie Parman called Zettler’s comments “disqualifying,” saying she had “lost her moral authority to lead.”

The backlash has grown into a district-wide controversy, culminating in the special meeting at the District 300 Central Office, where board members are expected to vote on removing Zettler from her leadership role and censuring her for the post.

During the Sept. 23 meeting, parent after parent stepped to the microphone to demand Zettler’s resignation, voicing concern for student safety, district reputation and leadership integrity.

Board Member Steve Fiorentino called for Zettler to resign her leadership role. 

“I publicly request that Mrs. Zettler step down as the leader of our school board,” Fiorentino said. “She has broken and is in conflict with several codes of conduct and Board policy. I feel this would be a positive step toward rebuilding the Board.” 

“As school board members, we must remain neutral and do our best to represent all members of our community. The Board must focus on governance, our students, and staff while uniting the community. Let's commit to being peacemakers in all we say and do. And I will say, if Mrs. Zettler refuses to comply with this widely supported request, I ask the Board to take action to remove her as President.”

Zettler has framed the controversy as a politically motivated attack and has thus far refused to apologize or step down. 

At the Sept. 23 school board meeting, Zettler stood by her post.

“I will not apologize for the post that I made to my personal Facebook page,” Zettler said as groans of disapproval from parents and community members erupted in the audience.  

“We have had these groups right here in our own backyard for years and they for years have been busy attacking, harassing and threatening teachers, administrators, board members and yes, even our kids today is not new,” Zettler said. “These groups recruit people to find or manufacture evidence to use against leaders and employees and social media, create an uproar and then use it against them to try to get them fired or removed from office.”

Zettler’s comments were widely criticized by parents, fellow board members and community leaders.

More than a dozen parents spoke at the meeting.

The advocacy group Kane County Citizens for Less Taxes posted a scathing summary of the Sept. 23 meeting on Facebook.

“A full hour of parents who stood up to leftwing democrat lunatic Nancy Zettler, district 300 school board president, who supports her party’s assassination culture by writing that Charlie Kirk’s murder was justified as ‘karma is a bitch,’” Kane County Citizens for Less Taxes said with a link to video of parents addressing the board. 

Kicking off the public comment period was Dr. David Scarpino, a former D300 board president and associate superintendent, who delivered a powerful rebuke. 

“With leadership comes the expectation of sound judgment,” Scarpino said. “When a board member speaks or takes to social media carelessly, especially on sensitive or divisive topics. The impact extends far beyond personal opinion. It places a strain on the very institution we are charged with serving. Regrettably, because of one member's recent comments, our superintendent and her team have been forced to set aside the critical business of the district to manage unnecessary controversy.” 

Parent Mike Lipp questioned Zettler’s character. 

“Imagine walking into a room and encountering somebody who expresses joy over another’s death, murder, or execution. This is not a matter of personal disagreement. It reveals deeper issues of character,” Lipp said.

Christina Constance, a longtime parent and board meeting attendee, emphasized Zettler’s pattern of behavior.

“What we're talking about is not one comment,” Constance said. “This is a pattern of behavior that I've witnessed over the last five and a half years. I can’t speak for everyone on the board, but a few people have publicly supported you on that one comment. I know you have the majority on the board, so I understand you’re in control. This comment in question was disruptive, as has been discussed. It was disgusting and frankly beneath the dignity of a school board. It showed a stunning lack of judgment and a failure of leadership at the highest level of our local education system.”

Mike Berry, another district parent, shared his assessment of Zettler's comments. 

“Charlie was murdered because of his political beliefs, because of his faith, and most notably because of his views on gender dysphoria,” Berry said. “Nancy believes he deserved this. This is not a question of political affiliation or beliefs at this point; this is a question of safety. 23,000 students walk through the doors of the schools in this district every single day. Those students and their parents have a right to feel safe. How can a conservative student or their parents feel safe when Nancy clearly believes that those who do not agree with her views deserve violent acts committed against them?”

Holly Jaworski criticized both the academic and ethical leadership of those in charge of CUSD 300. 

“Regardless of politics, celebrating the death of another human being is disgraceful. And four of our seven board members think this is acceptable,” Jaworski said. 

Erin Meese, a former district educator, framed the issue through the lens of school safety. 

“Let's be very clear. The assassination at Utah State University was a school shooting,” Meese said. “School shootings are targeted acts of violence, often carried out in public spaces, schools, campuses and community gatherings, that we as educators and parents work tirelessly to keep safe. To reduce that violence to something acceptable is not only disgusting and offensive; it is dangerous.”

She asked the board directly if her family members deserve to be shot if espousing conservative beliefs.  

“If my daughters who attend D300 schools were to speak freely about their beliefs that may differ from yours, do they deserve to be assassinated?” Meese said. 

Michelle Hipler, a graduate and community member, called for Zettler’s removal. 

“[Zettler] violated moral principles in which the community expected her to uphold when she seeked her position including the Board of education standards and beliefs for education and much more for the betterment of our youth,” Hipler said. “This is not to be overlooked. And Nancy Zettler needs to be removed from her position immediately.” 

Zettler and the CUSD 300 board have faced other controversies in recent months.

She and fellow CUSD 300 board members have remained silent amid allegations that elementary students are being referred to by different pronouns at school without their parents’ knowledge.

The controversy erupted after a whistleblower claimed the district is concealing gender transitions which is backed up by internal CUSD 300 documentation, prompting public backlash and calls for legislative reform.

Parman also supported those claims, alleging staff were trained to mislead parents about LGBTQ-related activities during her tenure as a CUSD 300 school employee.