‘It has been an honor’: Chesterfield school board member resigns after comments on Charlie Kirk murder

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Chesterfield County Public Schools has announced the resignation of school board member Dorothy Heffron after a controversial social media post made in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's murder.

The resignation letter was shared with 8News by Heffron and was announced by the county on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Heffron's resignation comes on the heels of her social media post, which said, "Call me old-fashioned, but I remember when we used to be okay with shooting Nazis."

The post was subsequently screenshotted by Winsome Earle-Sears and shared on Facebook

A spokesperson with Chesterfield County Public Schools said that, following Heffron's resignation, the division will begin the process of appointing an interim school board representative for the Clover Hill District. The interim representative will hold the position until a special election is held to fill Heffron's position for the remainder of her term, which is set to end Dec. 31, 2025.

PREVIOUSLY: Chesterfield School Board member asked to resign after controversial post about Charlie Kirk’s murder

In the letter, Heffron expressed how she regrets the pain her post has caused.

"It was never my intention to make light of violence or to suggest that harm to anyone is ever acceptable. As an elected official and as someone entrusted with the responsibility of supporting students, families, and educators, I should have shown better judgment," the letter reads.

The school board member went on to express her sincerest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Charlie Kirk.

When asked if there was anything she wanted to share with Chesterfield County Schools and the Clover Hill community, Heffron said she would stay committed to both despite her resignation.

"I grew up here, I grew up in the Clover Hill District, my kids went to the same high school that I went to, which was the same high school that my brother and sister went to. I deeply love this community, I am deeply committed to this community, I will continue to be committed to this community," Heffron said. "It has been the absolute honor of my lifetime to be able to serve the Clover Hill District, to just really be able to put myself in that work is something that I'll always be proud of, and I will always be proud of the efforts and the legacy work that I have put into Chesterfield County Public Schools."

Moving forward, Heffron stated that she would have limited involvement in the school board between now and her term's end.

"I expect to have very limited involvement in the school board during that period," she said. "I want to be sure that we have a smooth transition and allow enough time for the operational process of identifying an interim board member so that the district voters, students, parents and all of the constituents of Clover Hill District are adequately and appropriately represented on the school board."

A Chesterfield County Public Schools spokesperson shared the following statement after Heffron's resignation announcement:

We have been made aware that Mrs. Heffron and her family, and others in our school division who have made comments on social media, have received threats. Let us be clear: Threats of violence and death have no place in civil discourse. We can passionately disagree without resorting to acts that do not model the behavior we want for our community. 

We recognize the politically charged time that our country is experiencing. We must remember that our words carry weight, and they should be used to build trust, foster understanding, and model the respect we want our students to show one another. We must be better than the hatred we have witnessed over the last few days.

We are committed to moving forward with a clear focus on governance, educating our children, and maintaining a productive and supportive educational environment for our nearly 65,000 students.

The Chesterfield County School Board remains united in our work to support students, staff and families. Together, we will continue to ensure that Chesterfield County Public Schools are places where young people can learn, grow and prepare for bright futures.

-Chesterfield County Public School