VSSA teacher apologizes—debate persists over classroom remarks about Charlie Kirk and Trump

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice

A storm continues to brew at Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy (VSSA) after a longtime teacher’s controversial remarks in class. The comments came shortly after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated, setting off heated debate in the community about free speech, professional boundaries, and accountability in schools. The issue dominated last Wednesday night’s school board meeting, where the teacher publicly apologized but many parents and students left split over whether she should keep her job.

Public apology follows superintendent’s rebuke

At the September 24 meeting, Superintendent Philip Qualman called the remarks “unacceptable, inappropriate, and unprofessional.” He told the audience the district had followed its employee discipline procedures, which range from warnings to termination, and added, “There’s no place in our classrooms for divisive or disrespectful communication.”

The teacher, Lara Dowling, then addressed the community directly. “Dear community, I sincerely apologize for the comments I made on September 10 and for allowing my emotions in a very stressful situation to affect my professional judgment,” she said. “To be clear, I abhor gun violence in all of its forms. My utmost priority is the well-being of all of our students… I truly regret any distress this has caused anyone. I intend to learn from this and move forward.”

Follow-up email to families expands on apology

Two days later, Dowling followed up with an email to VSSA families. In it, she admitted to a “great lapse in professional judgement” and again apologized, saying, “For this I am deeply sorry.” She added that she had already faced “real consequences (including but not limited to leave without pay)” and was trying to handle the fallout “with gravity and integrity.”

Dowling also pushed back on one of the rumors that spread after the incident. “I did not celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death. I did not even know who he was before that day,” she wrote. She, again, stated her opposition to gun violence while admitting the rest of her comments were inappropriate in a classroom.

Student describes the classroom exchange differently

A VSSA student, granted anonymity by RMV, gave a different account. “She said she disagreed with everything Charlie went against, in addition she said that Charlie went against abortion,” the student recalled. RMV agreed to anonymity as the student is a minor. RMV also considered mitigating potential retaliation in making this decision.

That student stated in a text message that the incident left them shaken. “When I heard Dowling talking about wishing death on someone I was shocked and felt uncomfortable being in her classroom. She impacted a couple of the students in my class by saying that she wished it was Trump and telling us to keep our beliefs or religion to ourselves.”

They went on to say, “It made me sad because she used to be my favorite teacher in 7th grade but now she’s saying we can’t speak freely about what we believe in. And when I found out she wasn’t suspended and getting the proper training it made me feel like the school didn’t really care about the incident.”

Later, the student added more concerns: “I was thinking about parents and how they feel about a teacher still working. Who wants a teacher who is kinda promoting death and students may take it the wrong way, thinking that it is good to wish death, and something may click in their brain and end up killing someone.”

Parents differ on appropriate consequences

Parents at the meeting voiced very different views on Dowling’s future. One parent said, “She said it would have been better if it was Donald Trump who was shot. That’s not just unprofessional, it’s dangerous. My kids should not be sitting in a classroom with someone who talks like that.”

Others urged the board to take into account Dowling’s decades of teaching experience. “She has been teaching here for 26 years. One mistake, however serious, should not erase decades of dedication. We all know emotions can get the best of us, and she has owned up to it,” one parent told the board.

Another parent said, “We have policies that say teachers must keep discussions balanced and respectful. She did the exact opposite. If we let this slide, we are telling students the rules don’t matter.”

Local civic leaders weigh in on accountability

Tony Martinez, first vice chair of the Eagle County Republican Central Committee, has been helping parents raise concerns. He stated, “You shouldn’t be celebrating the death of anybody. Nor should you be wishing for the death of a U.S. president. I think [for] any president, sitting or otherwise, that kind of talk is highly inappropriate from a teaching standpoint. And a teacher with her tenure should certainly know better.”

He added, “There are certain offenses that should be dealt with more harshly. Championing the death of a public figure and wishing for it to be the president of the United States… those are circumstances that warrant more scrutiny by the superintendent and the Board of Education.”

Superintendent signals closure—no further discipline

Superintendent Qualman told the community that the district considered the matter handled through unpaid leave during the investigation and additional training. No further discipline is planned.

Parents, students, and community members left the meeting deeply divided. Some promised to stay engaged in the weeks ahead, saying the district must show it can balance free expression with professionalism and accountability in the classroom.