Derek Brewer #

Introduction #

Derek Brewer is an American high school social studies teacher who was fired from Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln, Maine, after telling a freshman class that he did not care that conservative activist Charlie Kirk had died. The Regional School Unit 67 (RSU 67) board, which serves the towns of Lincoln, Chester and Mattawamkeag, voted unanimously to terminate his employment at its December 17, 2025 meeting. Board Chair Rebbecca Hanscom said Brewer used his classroom as a personal forum to express political views unrelated to the curriculum, in violation of district policy. The firing followed months of deliberations, including one especially contentious meeting that resulted in a school board member resigning.

Background Information #

Brewer worked as a social studies teacher at Mattanawcook Academy, the high school in RSU 67, a district serving Lincoln, Chester and Mattawamkeag in Penobscot County. The comments that ended his career came the day after the September 10, 2025 assassination of Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, who was shot and killed. In the wake of the assassination, a video of Kirk circulated on social media in which the right-wing political activist had argued that a certain number of gun deaths would have to be tolerated in order to uphold the Second Amendment — a video that would become central to the controversy in Brewer’s classroom.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

On September 11, 2025, one day after the assassination, Brewer told a freshman class that “he didn’t care that Charlie Kirk died,” according to board Chair Rebbecca Hanscom, who spoke at the board meeting the month before the termination vote. Brewer also “found it ironic that Charlie Kirk was shot,” Hanscom said, a reference to the widely circulated video of Kirk arguing that some gun deaths must be tolerated to protect the Second Amendment.

School board members found that Brewer’s conduct in teaching about a controversial, sensitive issue violated RSU 67 policy. Reading prepared remarks after the termination vote, Hanscom said: “Mr. Brewer used his classroom as a personal forum to express his political views not related to the curriculum.” She said Brewer communicated his own views without emphasizing the need to keep an open mind, base judgment on known facts, or present a balance among many points of view, and that he “did not permit students to opt out of being subjected to his views.”

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The reaction in Lincoln was immediate and severe. On September 12, one day after Brewer’s comments, a group of angry parents went to the school and called for him to be fired, and police had to be called in for assistance, according to Hanscom. That same day, nearly 100 students were marked as having an unexcused absence or early dismissal — the WMTW report put the figure at 99 — and several parents have since pulled their students from the district to be homeschooled.

At the December 17 meeting, Hanscom concluded that Brewer was “unfit to teach” and that his services were “unprofitable to RSU 67,” declaring: “Mr. Brewer is dismissed from employment with RSU 67, effective immediately.” The vote to fire him was unanimous. Hanscom also said Brewer demonstrated “a total lack of professional judgment” and had refused to take responsibility for or acknowledge the consequences of his actions, including the substantial disruption to students and the school community. The controversy also cost the board a member: one especially contentious meeting before the termination vote ultimately resulted in a school board member resigning.

Brewer did not publicly respond to the firing; attempts to contact him for an interview were unsuccessful, and requests for comment went unanswered.

Current Status #

Brewer’s employment with RSU 67 ended effective immediately upon the December 17, 2025 vote. Despite being relieved of his duties, he was still listed in the staff directory of the Mattanawcook Academy webpage in early January 2026, when the firing was reported. No lawsuit by Brewer over the termination appears in the available reporting, and the district has given no indication of reinstatement; the board’s stated position is that his classroom conduct violated policy and merited dismissal. His comments, as characterized by the board chair rather than by Brewer himself, remain the accepted public account of what was said.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

Brewer lost his teaching position over remarks he made in a single class period, and the board’s characterization of him as “unfit to teach” — read into the record at a public meeting — will follow him in any future attempt to work in education. The disruption extended well beyond one teacher: the school needed police assistance when parents demanded his firing, nearly 100 students missed class or left early the following day, and several families withdrew their children from the district entirely to homeschool them. A board member resigned amid the deliberations over his fate, and the months-long fight left the small Penobscot County district divided before the unanimous vote ended Brewer’s career at Mattanawcook Academy.