Lake County Gazette

The Liberty Lake chapter of Moms for Liberty is urging parents to remove their children from classes taught by Carolyn Heyman Pinta, a Spanish teacher at Twin Groves Middle School and activist, following social media posts in which she criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk and called for resistance.

Kirk, a native of Arlington Heights and graduate of Wheeling High School, was killed Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at a university event in Utah.

The conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder, known for his ties to the Chicago suburbs, built a national movement after launching the organization in Illinois.

Moms for Liberty is warning parents of students attending Twin Groves Middle School to avoid placing their children in Pinta’s classes over comments she made regarding Kirk following his death.

“Concerned parents in Buffalo Grove ask to get students away from Twin Groves Middle School teacher Carolyn Heyman Pinta, who compares Charlie Kirk’s events to Nazi rallies and celebrated assassination with ‘irony is thick,’” Moms4LibertyIL wrote on X.

Pinta, who directs the Pinta Pride Project and Buffalo Grove Pride, has made multiple social media posts that have been criticized by conservative groups following Kirk's death.

In one post, Pinta commented on the identity and political affiliations of Kirk’s alleged assassin.

“As usual, [the] shooter turned out to be a white, conservative, Trump-loving bigot who was a Nick Fuentes fan rather than a Kirk fan. Your people are shooting themselves,” Pinta wrote.

Law enforcement sources said the shooter was reportedly living with a transgender partner and had espoused leftist ideology.

Pinta also responded to a petition launched by District 214 residents calling for the school board to honor Kirk and his Arlington Heights roots.

“D214, perhaps you have a few words about making this man an honoree? You know, one whose rhetoric was to tear down every possible minority?” Pinta said on Facebook.

The petition, which emphasizes Kirk’s local ties and his role in civic engagement, calls for the district to recognize him as a notable graduate, permit Turning Point USA chapters in schools and establish a district-wide day in his honor.

Pinta opposed the petition and encouraged others to do the same.

“Opposing petition that you WILL want to sign, this one AGAINST glorifying Charlie Kirk,” she said on Facebook.

Pinta, a self-described advocate for LGBTQ rights, has been a longtime figure in local activism and previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Buffalo Grove Village Board in 2019.

Following Kirk’s death, several individuals across media, education, aviation and government have faced professional consequences for posts perceived as mocking or celebrating his killing. Public and private institutions, including MSNBC, universities and federal agencies, have issued disciplinary actions or public statements in response to online backlash.

Critics of Pinta’s comments say they are in line with some of the inflammatory rhetoric that has drawn widespread criticism elsewhere.

“Carolyn you sound like a pos, crazy people kill not guns,” one social media user wrote. Another responded: “The gun didn't pull its own trigger...Sorry but I respectfully disagree that this is a gun issue. Someone made the decision to 'play god' and take another person’s life. They took deliberate action.”

A third commenter raised concerns about Pinta’s role in education.

“Pinta is a nut case, and she teaches at a school which is very very concerning,” the user wrote.