Westhampton Beach teacher Laura Mara says she was wrongfully fired after Charlie Kirk video
A former Westhampton Beach music and choir teacher says she was wrongfully fired after a video she posted about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
A former Westhampton Beach music and choir teacher has filed suit against the district, saying she was wrongfully fired after posting a TikTok video about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Laura Mara posted the 14-second video on Sept. 11, the day after Kirk was assassinated, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in Suffolk County Supreme Court. In the video, Mara said in part, "We are not celebrating his death. We are responding to his death the way he responded to" school shootings.
She added, "And that response is thoughts and prayers. I guess that’s the price you pay to freely bear arms in the United States of America," the suit states.
Mara’s video was about “gun safety,” according to the suit. Her views are protected under the First Amendment and her comments were made after work hours, the complaint states.
But after a parent re-posted the video to Facebook, the suit says people complained about Mara at a school board meeting. She was placed on leave and in the weeks that followed, Mara — identified in the suit as a "homosexual" woman — alleges she was accused of making inappropriate comments in class based on stereotypes and tropes of LGBTQ+ behavior.
Mara was fired in December, the suit states.
Mara said the district’s actions have caused her "significant emotional distress, humiliation, mental anguish [and] damage to professional reputation.” She is seeking at least $5 million in compensation.
“Laura Mara’s most fundamental constitutional rights were violated by the Westhampton [Beach] Union Free School District in a situation made worse by the discrimination based on sexual orientation," her Smithtown-based attorney, Austin Smith, said in a statement.
A district spokesperson said it does not comment on issues related to litigation.
'Excellent' performance reviews
Mara was hired by the Westhampton Beach district in August 2024. She received “excellent” performance reviews during her first year employed with the district, according to the complaint.
After she posted her video about Kirk, the suit alleges people who attended a school board meeting on Sept. 15 lodged complaints against the teacher, including that she had a "feminist” ideology and had made political statements in the classroom.
Less than 24 hours later, she was placed on leave and ordered to stay away from school property, allegedly without an investigation, the suit said.
From Sept. 15 through 29, the suit alleges that the district raised unsubstantiated claims about her, including that she "openly" discussed her sex life in the classroom.
The complaint alleges the district’s actions were discriminatory and driven in part by Mara's sexual orientation.
The suit alleges that Mara was given the option in October to resign rather than be "formally terminated," but she refused.
Superintendent Carolyn Probst, who is named as a defendant in the suit, then advised Mara that she was recommending her termination. Probst cited five reasons for Mara's termination, including that Mara had asked students questions that were sexual in nature and made an inappropriate gesture in class, according to a Nov. 5 letter responding to an inquiry from Mara's attorney that was included as an exhibit in the suit.
Mara was fired on Dec. 17, according to school board documents included in the lawsuit.
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
