EASTON, Pa. — Northampton County Council unanimously passed an anti-political violence resolution Thursday night as one of its members, under fire for comments she allegedly made online about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, attended remotely.
Screenshots of a Facebook post attributed to Council member Kelly Keegan circulated widely on social media last week. The post, which has since been removed, described Kirk as a “monster” and said “his wife and kids are better off without him as is the rest of the world.”
Keegan, a Democrat and nurse at Easton Area High School, did not address the controversy during the meeting but voiced support for the resolution.
“I would like to second this resolution, or cosponsor it, or whatever,” she said, commending fellow council member Jeff Warren for urging colleagues to put aside political differences. “Your words are inspiring. You make me want to be a better person. You make me want to be a better commissioner.”
Outside the courthouse, about two dozen protesters gathered in a demonstration organized by the Northampton County Republican Committee. Several carried signs reading “I am Charlie Kirk.”
Al Smith, a Nazareth resident, said Keegan had shown poor judgment.
“When you’re an elected official, you have to be cognizant of your words,” Smith said. “What Kelly did was quite stupid.”
Christina Martinez, a parent in the Easton Area School District, said she no longer trusts Keegan to represent families like hers.
“This isn’t political disagreement. This is dehumanization,” Martinez said. “How can we trust her to govern fairly for families like mine? She’s not governing for me or my children and as a parent that’s frightening.”
Other residents echoed those concerns.
“The people in our community deserve leaders who model decency, respect and humanity,” said Kathleen Harrison of Easton. “Not ones who celebrate the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
Keegan also drew support from some who viewed the backlash as disproportionate. Kathleen Soper of Easton, who joined a small counter-protest, argued Keegan did not incite violence.
“Kelly didn’t call for violence, she didn’t make threats, she just said something that a lot of people disagreed with,” Soper said.
Sofia Fernandez Fernandez, an Easton Area School District student, said critics were holding Keegan to a double standard.
“Everybody keeps talking about broadcasting hate when Charlie Kirk himself broadcasted a lot of hate,” she said. “Because his speech fits the rhetoric you all ascribe to, his speech is more viable than Kelly Keegan’s. As an Easton Area School District student, I don’t feel that I have been influenced or any of my peers have been influenced by Kelly Keegan. You guys are hypocrites.”
During the meeting, Council President Lori Vargo Heffner said members cannot be sanctioned for private social media posts under the county charter.
The county increased security at the courthouse, stationing sheriffs inside council chambers and outside the building.
Kirk, a conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was killed Sept. 10 at a university in Utah. Remarks following his death have sparked national backlash.
Locally, state Rep. Josh Siegel, a Democrat and candidate for Lehigh County executive, has also faced criticism for blaming Kirk for fostering a “toxic political culture.”
