School Principal Who Blamed Kobe Bryant's Death On Karma Resigns

KEY POINTS

Liza Sejkora had, in a Facebook post, called Kobe Bryant a "rapist" and said "karma" was the reason why he died
She resigned Friday
The post was in reference to the infamous 2003 case involving a woman and Kobe Bryant in Colorado

A Camas, Washington, high school principal who had blamed karma as the root cause behind NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s tragic death resigned on Friday.

On Jan. 26., Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others were on their way to a basketball game when a fatal helicopter crash took away their lives. As the whole world was mourning their death, Liza Sejkora, in a since-deleted Facebook post, had called Kobe Bryant a "rapist" and said that "karma" was the reason why he died, ABC News reported.

"Not gonna lie. Seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today,” her post on Facebook read. Soon after the comment went viral, it received severe backlash and there was a huge uproar amongst the parents and students alike.

A Washington state high school principal who called NBA star Kobe Bryant a "rapist" and said karma had caught up with him has been placed on administrative leave following backlash to her Facebook post. https://t.co/cx3N7A2Uko
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 6, 2020

Sejkora, who was placed on suspension after the backlash, later apologized for her post on Facebook.

“I have some personal experience that generated the visceral reaction. This was a situation where I didn't think before I posted,” she told ABC Portland station KATU.

Her earlier Facebook post was in reference to the infamous 2003 case involving a woman and Kobe Bryant in Colorado. The 19-year-old hotel employee had accused Bryant of sexually assaulting her, however, the case was later dismissed as the woman refused to testify against him. Bryant later clarified the issue stating that their encounter was consensual and they had settled the case in a civil court.

“Anytime there’s a loss of life, I hope that all of us come together and rally around that. It didn’t come across that way. That’s really unfortunate,” Camas School District superintendent Jeff Snell told KATU, criticizing Sejkora’s comments.

A public memorial, “celebration of life”, will be held on Feb. 24 at Staples Center by Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, to honor her late husband and daughter’s life.