High school principal who wrote "karma caught up with" Kobe Bryant placed on leave
A high school principal in Washington state has been placed on administrative leave while district officials look into a Facebook post she made about Kobe Bryant after he and eight others were killed in a helicopter crash in January, according to a statement from the school cited by the Associated Press.
The controversy began when Dr. Liza Sejkora wrote on her personal Facebook, "Not gonna lie. Seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today." Her post ended with a shrug emoji.
Sejkora — who has worked at the high school since 2017 — deleted the post within an hour and apologized, saying it was "inappropriate and tasteless," according to a letter she sent to the campus community Tuesday obtained by CBS affiliate KOIN-TV.
"In education, we remind students to think before they post online, especially when feelings are inflamed," she wrote. "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."
Bryant was accused in 2003 of raping a 19-year-old Colorado resort employee, but prosecutors eventually dropped the case at the request of the accuser. The NBA star had said at the time the sex was consensual. The woman then filed a civil suit against Bryant and it was settled out of court.
The Associated Press said the Camas School District issued a statement saying Sejkora was placed on leave "in light of threats to ... Sejkora and concern from our community."
The school district's superintendent Jeff Snell told KOIN-TV, "My focus right now is on supporting the school and the students and really listening to them in terms of what they think should be the next steps forward in terms of repairing trust."
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, the pilot and six other passengers died January 26 when their helicopter crashed during a foggy morning near Los Angeles. A federal investigation is ongoing.