A Minnesota teaching assistant has been placed on leave and is under investigation after tweeting a threat against newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Just hours after the Senate voted to confirm Kavanaugh on Saturday, a special education teaching assistant in Rosemount asked in a now deleted tweet, “So whose [sic] gonna take one for the team and kill Kavanaugh?”

Tweets from a Minnesota special education teacher calling for someone to kill Justice Kavanaugh. pic.twitter.com/HdtcVtRqLd

— Beth Baumann (@eb454) October 8, 2018

Later identified as Samantha Ness, who works at Alliance Education Center, the teaching assistant deleted her social media accounts after being reported, according to The Washington Times.

“Over the weekend, the district has received a complaint regarding an employee. The employee has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” Superintendent Mark Zuzek of Intermediate School District 917 said in a statement.

“Pursuant with the data practices act, we are limited to providing additional information regarding this matter,” he added.

Her name is Samantha Ness. She is a grade school teacher in Minnesota. You can contact her school’s director at 651-423-8100. @POTUS @SecretService @GOP @senatemajldr @SenateGOP pic.twitter.com/IPG82LMDHf

— TRUE PATRIOT (@lovebaldeagles) October 8, 2018

The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office indicated in a statement that the FBI is “aware” of the threat would “follow up as appropriate.

Our Office is aware of an incident involving alleged social media use by an employee of a school withinDakota County. Neither the City of Rosemount Police Department nor our Office are currently investigating any incidents we believe to have happened at the school. (1/2)

— Dakota County SO (@DakotaMNSheriff) October 8, 2018

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is also aware of the incident and will follow up as appropriate.

Please contact District Superintendent Mark Zuzek at 651-423-8229 for further questions relating to the school district’s involvement in the matter. (2/2)

— Dakota County SO (@DakotaMNSheriff) October 8, 2018

“Brett kavanaugh will be dealing with death threats for the rest of his life being on the Supreme Court. I doubt my mid-west ass is a real threat,” Ness wrote in a subsequent tweet before the account was deleted.

According to the Star Tribune:

It is unclear whether the teacher will be charged with a crime or what law enforcement agency is responsible for investigating the tweet. While Twitter users wrote that they reported the tweet to the FBI and Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for protecting the federal judiciary. The U.S. Supreme Court also has a small federal police force in Washington, D.C.

At least two people have been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota for similar threats against federal judges in recent years, the newspaper noted.

While her Twitter account was deleted, users of the social media platform quickly spread the information in the hours after the original tweets by Ness.

5 hrs ago, placed on administrative leave, she needs to be fired, and have charges against her!

— TRUE PATRIOT (@lovebaldeagles) October 9, 2018

Her account was deleted after James Woods submitted the complaint. Thanks so much for publishing her information!! As a school teacher, we have a right to know where to complain. Actions have consequences.

— History Repeats Itself Unless… (@HistoryAndNow) October 8, 2018

Freedom of Speech does not give you the right to make threats like that.
@lookitsSammm#lookitsSammm #SpookySpam #SamanthaNess https://t.co/lKpiHMw1dN

— Wyatt Carroll (@WyattCarroll4) October 8, 2018

I don’t know what looks worse for #allianceEDUCATIONcenter… employing a teacher who makes death threats to a federal official or employing a teacher who can’t spell WHO’S. #samanthaness pic.twitter.com/gPktrgDdYh

— ??THE DAMN BATS?? (@THEDAMNBATS) October 8, 2018

For everyone re-Tweeting that goofy Samantha Ness photo with her eyebrows done up, she’s actually a very attractive woman. Crazy and murderous, but attractive. pic.twitter.com/XGx15wYv7W

— The Pulse… (@bingpulse) October 8, 2018

Minnesota teacher Samantha Ness has been placed on leave and is being investigated by the FBI after she tweeted, “So whose going to take one for the team and kill Kavanaugh?” https://t.co/zNT2g1VnpO pic.twitter.com/SmoW6NIniI

— Heavy.com (@HeavySan) October 8, 2018

Will people NEVER learn that social media justice is a very real thing?! It can cost you your job, your relationships, and, in extreme cases, your life. But hey, at least you got a hashtag, #SamanthaNess. SMH. https://t.co/eYF71G6NGt

— SharkInTheBay (@Jawz_OU812) October 8, 2018

I’m more disturbed by them eyebrows

— Jason Nolan (@BomberNolan) October 8, 2018

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Frieda Powers

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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