John Colgan #
Introduction #
John Colgan is a city councilmember for the City of Cornelius, Oregon, and a middle school teacher in Forest Grove. On September 12, 2025, he resigned from the city council following strong backlash to an alleged Facebook comment he made celebrating the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. His school district separately placed him on paid administrative leave. The KATU report, written by Matthew Nuttle and published Friday, September 12, 2025, at 4:07 p.m., carried the news the same day the resignation was submitted. Colgan submitted his resignation Friday afternoon, September 12, 2025, per a statement by Cornelius Mayor Jeffrey Dalin.
Background Information #
KATU’s reporting describes Colgan in only two roles: a city councilmember for the City of Cornelius and a middle school teacher at Neil Armstrong Middle School in Forest Grove, Oregon. The article provides no further biographical detail, such as when he was first elected to the council or specifics of his teaching career. In his resignation letter, Colgan expressed that he is “deeply sorry for his comments and the harm they caused to our community and staff,” per Mayor Dalin’s statement. The KATU report does not state how long Colgan had served on the council before stepping down; a related KATU story headlined “Forest Grove teacher placed on leave after controversial post on Charlie Kirk’s death” covered the school district angle separately.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #
The controversy centers on an alleged Facebook post. According to KATU, Colgan reportedly posted to Facebook celebrating Kirk’s death, saying that the news “really brightened up my day.” He later responded to negative comments on the post, adding: “Charlie [Kirk] was a f****** ghoul who got on tv after every school shooting and mass shooting and defended guns. He’d want us to support the gun in this case.”
The post was eventually removed; however, several other users had captured screenshots of Colgan’s alleged post before it was taken down, and those screenshots circulated online. KATU’s report also included photos of the entrance to Cornelius City Hall. Kirk, a conservative activist, had been shot and killed; KATU’s coverage focuses on the local backlash to the comments rather than the underlying incident. The reported celebration of a mass shooting death, combined with the inflammatory language in the follow-up comments, drew strong criticism from the community.
Public Reaction and Consequences #
The reaction was swift and led directly to his departure. Mayor Jeffrey Dalin wrote: “The comments made by Former City Councilor Colgan on social media do not reflect my values or the values of the City of Cornelius.” In his full statement, Dalin added: “I am committed to fostering respectful dialogue and ensuring that every member of our community feels safe to share their views without fear of harm, intimidation, or retaliation. Violence is never an acceptable response to differences in opinion or belief. I strongly condemn all acts of political violence and stand firmly against words or actions that could incite it.”
On the employment side, the school district confirmed that Colgan has been placed on paid administrative leave. Mayor Dalin’s statement confirmed that “This afternoon, September 12, 2025, Former City Councilor John Colgan submitted his resignation letter to the City Manager and me,” and that “Effective immediately, he has resigned from City Council.”
Current Status #
As of the reporting, Colgan is no longer a member of the Cornelius City Council. His resignation was effective immediately, per Mayor Dalin’s statement, and was submitted on September 12, 2025. He has also been placed on paid administrative leave from his teaching position at Neil Armstrong Middle School, the district confirmed. KATU’s coverage did not describe any criminal or other formal proceedings; the concrete consequence of the backlash was the resignation and the administrative leave.
Impact on Their Career/Life #
Colgan’s public service and teaching roles were interrupted immediately by the incident. He lost his seat on the city council and was placed on administrative leave from his classroom. In his statement, Mayor Dalin described the comments as inconsistent with the values of the city and expressed a commitment to rebuilding trust and ensuring that Cornelius remains a safe and welcoming place for all. The case illustrates how a single social media comment, once captured in screenshots, can quickly end a local elected official’s tenure.