York, PA – A Facebook post from the City of York Human Relations Commission ignited a political storm after it accused conservative activist Scott Presler of targeting local teachers and “calling for violence” against them — a claim Presler quickly rejected as false and defamatory.
The commission’s post, published Saturday, warned York County educators that Presler, a nationally known Republican organizer, was attempting to have teachers fired over social media posts celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk. It was alleged that Presler was doxxing educators and urging action against them.
Pressler called out a York area school teacher, Susasn Binder, who posted online after Kirk’s gruesome live-filmed assassination, “So yeah, I don’t really care that someone shot him dead. F*ck him.”
Binder is a public school teacher teaching social studies at Cocalico High School. She has since deleted her posts and her Facebook profile.
“Heads up York county, there are teachers being targeted who are voicing their opinions on their Facebook pages about Kirk. They are being targeted for dismissal by a Scott Pressler. He is a major MAGA and is a national agitator in trying to get folx fired and calling for violence against them. He is doxxing numerous people including teacher and faculty in the Southern York District for practicing free speech on their own FB pages. Please call HRC or PHRC if you are a victim of his or of someone who is following his calls for dismissal,” the post read.
Presler, who has built a following for organizing voter registration drives, responded online, denouncing the commission’s statement as reckless. “The City of York Human Relations Commission is now attacking me & recklessly calling me violent — which is false & absurd — on its public page,” he wrote on X, adding that he plans to pursue legal action “peacefully.”
Pressler has traveled across the country helping cities and states register Republican voters, primarily in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
As of Sunday, Binder’s profile on the school website has been removed and the district issued the following statement, “We have been made aware of a social media post attributed to one of our staff members, who is currently on a sabbatical. We wish to assure our community that Cocalico School District does not condone violence of any kind and is committed to schools that are safe and welcoming. The district is investigating the matter, and as with all personnel matters, our longstanding practice is to address concerns privately. We appreciate the cooperation and support of our community.”
Binder has not replied regarding her insensitve statements.
While Pressler has called for accountability for teachers who celebrated the assassination of Kirk, he called for school leaders to hold their employees, who supervise and mentor young children, accountable for their reckless and violent statements online.
Pressler has never called for violence.
The clash has drawn widespread attention because the Human Relations Commission is a city government body. Critics of the post argue that a municipal agency should not issue politically charged statements. Supporters counter that the commission was alerting the public to what it saw as harassment of teachers.
Mayor Michael Helfrich, a Democrat, has not commented on the matter.
As of Sunday, the post was removed from the commission’s Facebook page, though city officials did not immediately comment on whether it would be removed or if the commission stands by its claims.
Key Points
- York’s Human Relations Commission posted that Scott Presler was calling for violence against local teachers.
- Presler denied the accusation and said he plans to take legal action.
- The dispute highlights tension between a government agency and a nationally known political activist.
In York, a Facebook post turned into a flashpoint in the battle over speech and politics.