A Massachusetts school employee is under investigation by the Secret Service for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump on social media.
The employee, a Fitchburg Public Schools paraprofessional who works with special-needs students, has also been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of this investigation.
Her husband, a principal at Fitchburg's Longsjo Middle School, spoke only to WFXT about his wife's alleged tweet, which was captured in screen shots and shared multiple times on social media.
At first, the tweet caught the attention of the local police force and subsequently of federal agents.
"People have their preferences, but sometimes you should just keep your 2 cents to yourself, you know?" said Roger Valcourt, a parent.
The tweet, posted Oct, 10 which read, "No just kill Trump," has been generating controversy around town.
Parents were shocked to learn what happened, saying both the principal and his wife are star educators.
After the tweet was reported to Ashburnham police, the Secret Service launched an investigation, telling WFXT that they are aware of the incident and investigate all threats made against the president.
"I don’t know what was going through her head, I guess, but it’s not a good thing to say you want to kill the president," said Alex Clemente, a parent.
Clemente, a veteran who fought in Iraq, says the tweet went too far.
"Even though you don’t like him, you can’t say that," Clemente said.
The employee's husband told WFXT in an off-camera interview she meant no harm, saying, "It was lapse in judgment, a mistake. It was a bad choice of words that were taken out of context. My wife is not a malicious person, and has an impeccable work record. She's embarrassed by this situation."
While Craig Chalifoux spoke to WFXT on the record, his wife isn't being identified because she is not facing any charges.
The superintendent told WFXT that the employee has been placed on paid administrative leave, saying, in a statement, this "is being done to protect her interests as well as the interest of the district [and] it will allow the investigation to conclude and minimize any disruption and distraction and protects her safety and security."
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