The news of Kobe Bryant‘s death in a tragic helicopter crash sent shockwaves throughout almost the entire world last month. Millions of people were in absolute shock and disbelief as they read the news on their phones or saw it on television, unable to believe that it was true. In fact, many thought it was a hoax or even a mistake and refused to accept it until they checked multiple sources.
Indeed, it came as a shock to just about everyone and we’re all still mourning the loss of a true sporting legend. Or at least, most of us are. As you’ve probably seen, there’s also been a vocal minority who’ve been making some very, shall we saw, tasteless comments about Kobe since he died.
One of those people is Liza Sejkora, principal of Camas High School in Washington who posted on social media the following in regards to the athlete’s death: “Not gonna lie. Seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today.” Clearly, this sparked an uproar online and though she’s since deleted her post, Sejkora has now been placed on administrative leave.
Of course, the principal was referring to a sexual assault accusation against Bryant from 2003 that was ultimately dropped, with the basketball star later settling a civil suit with the accuser. And though it’s understandably something that people are talking about again in light of his death, the Camas School District was swift to take action against Sejkora for her remarks.
For her part, the principal has now issued an apology to the parents of the high school, writing:
“CHS families, you may be aware that a copy of a social media post I made on my personal Facebook page is circulating digitally in our community. Today, I apologized to my staff, and now I apologize to you. On January 26 after news broke Kobe Bryant’s death, I made a comment to my private social media which was a personal, visceral reaction. I want to apologize for suggesting that a person’s death is deserved. It was inappropriate and tasteless. Further, I apologize for the disruption it caused to our learning environment today.”
It’s unclear what will happen from here and what else the school plans to do to deal with this, but Sejkora’s apology does little to make up for her completely tasteless comment. Then again, you could argue that she’s entitled to her own opinion, and it’s one that a lot of other people share. But at the same time, many would say it’s unfair to judge someone for something when they can’t defend themselves any longer.
Besides, we should all try to remember Kobe Bryant in a more positive light, as despite the aforementioned 2003 accusation, he was an inspiration to millions and was really one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball, carrying out a long and successful career that saw him win several NBA championships, MVP titles and more.
