Connecticut community in uproar after special ed teacher threatens violence against Trump supporters 

A Connecticut special education teacher who unleashed a video tirade threatening violence against Donald Trump supporters is on paid leave and under police investigation, media outlets reported. 

Annie Dunleavy, a teacher at Chapman Elementary in the town of Cheshire, posted a video on Snapchat as a private message, which was then recorded and later shared on X by Libs of TikTok. 

“Meet Annie Dunleavy, a special education teacher at Chapman School (@CheshirePublic) in CT who reportedly posted a video online threatening to k*II and hurt Trump supporters,” Libs of TikTok posted. “She should not be anywhere near school children.” 

Dunleavy was quickly identified by social media users. Dr. Jeffrey Solan, Cheshire Public Schools superintendent, identified her as well. 

In the video Dunleavy is heard saying that “people of color, and poor people, and gay people, and all the people that I care about are not going to be safe in America.” 

“Neither the f**k are you guys,” she then continued. “Just because you won doesn’t mean we don’t remember who the f**k you voted for! You’re not in the clear. And just please, please, don’t test your gangster on me, because you will end on a stretcher – gone forever … Nobody f**king talk to me unless you wanna swing. If you wanna fight – text me, call me – whatever! Anybody else – stay the f**k out of my face!” 

The Waterbury Republican-American reported Tuesday that Dunleavy was on “paid leave and under police investigation.” 

Local residents are calling for Dunleavy’s termination, reported WFSB, including Amy Bourdon, a Cheshire parent of a child in the special education program. 

“Our lives have been targeted by an individual that cashes a paycheck from the town of Cheshire every week,” said Bourdon, a Trump supporter. “Her name is Annie Dunleavy.” 

“Whatever they are doing right now is a process, but if the process does not end in the termination of this teacher, then I think the town is going to have an expensive legal battle,” she added. 

Lori Barnes, a grandmother who has a special needs child that will start at CPS next year, expressed trepidation. 

“I can’t unsee it and I can’t walk into that school,” Barnes said, according to WFSB. “I’m shaking. I can’t walk into that school and hand my kid off to that person.” 

State Sen. Rob Sampson, a Republican whose district includes Cheshire, denounced the “politically driven threats” made by Dunleavy. 

“Statements that invite physical confrontation and use menacing language have no place in our schools or community,” Sampson said in a release, adding: 

“Such behavior must not be tolerated in any school system. Educators bear the vital responsibility to foster a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students, regardless of their or their parents’ beliefs. The remarks in this video raise serious concerns about this individual’s ability to uphold that standard and protect the wellbeing of students in her care.” 

Citizen journalist Kristi L. Talmadge posted to her X account Solan’s messages to the CPS community regarding the 2024 election and Dunleavy’s video. 

In them, Solan described the “political climate” as “tense,” adding that “civic engagement is certainly strongly encouraged.” 

“An important part of that process, however, is respecting the position of others,” he wrote. “We will continue to educate our children about appropriate civil discourse and maintain disciplinary standards when discourse becomes ridicule or harassment.” 

Following the release of the video, however, Solan wrote that over the weekend it was brought to his attention that “someone had taken a video of one of our teachers who shared what she intended to be a private message to her group on Snapchat.” 

“She was expressing her personal opinion and not those of the Cheshire Public Schools,” Solan continued. “The Cheshire Public Schools is reviewing this situation as a personnel matter and as such we are following all applicable laws. That being said, it is immediately clear that it will be impossible to conduct business as usual for our students and staff without temporarily removing the teacher from the building so we have done so until the outcome of the investigation.” 

Solan said CPS has been “inundated with calls and emails predominantly from people outside the Cheshire community,” and that while there have been “no direct threats to the school,” he still plans to have a “police presence out of an abundance of caution.” 

Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association – the state’s largest teachers’ union – said her organization “values the right to free speech and respects the diverse opinions of our members. 

“We know that emotions can run high after an election, and we encourage everyone to engage in respectful conversations as part of our democratic process,” Dias said, according to CT Insider. “Keeping our discussions civil and focused is important in maintaining a positive environment in our schools. We must continue to share our views constructively while prioritizing respect, unity, and our shared commitment to educating and caring for our students.” 

But Sampson said in his statement that while education “should equip students to think critically and independently, not to impose personal political views on them,” Dunleavy’s video and similar incidents “reveal a troubling hypocrisy from the radicalized political left, which frequently accuses those on the right of bigotry and intolerance without evidence.”  

“I urge Cheshire Public Schools to take swift and decisive action to ensure that all educators in our district uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect,” the state senator added. “Our children deserve better, and our community expects accountability.”