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Friday, September 19, 2025

NorCo Council Takes No Action Over Keegan Remarks

Last week, in response to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, NorCo Council member Kelly Keegan, who is also a nurse at the Easton Area School District, posted this remark on her Facebook page: "He was a monster and his wife and kids are better off without him as is the rest of the world. Hopefully her next partner will respect women and children." The backlash was swift, Many people have called for her resignation from County Council and ouster as a nurse. According to Lehigh Valley Live, she may have been placed on administrative leave by the district superintendent. At last night's meeting of County Council, 15 members of the public weighed in on what Keegan said. Keegan herself was participating by phone instead of being physically present, possibly out of concerns for her own personal security. A deputy Sheriff stood in the well, keeping an eye on the public. After all the talking was done, Council took no action against Keegan. No censure. No stripping of committee assignments. Not even a request for her to step down. They did adopt yet another one of their toothless resolutions, this time condemning political violence in the strongest possible terms. But that was it. 

Of the 15 people who spoke, 3 of them actually supported Keegan. Gail Preunenger, a former Democratic member of the elections commission and regular donor to Tara Zrinski, called on council to "stop the erosion of freedom of speech" and allow Keegan to continue. An Easton High School student said that "everyone who wants Keegan to resign is biased." 

The remaining speakers all wanted some kind of disciplinary action, although most of them acknowledged that Council has no authority to oust a member. That can only be done by the General Assembly's impeachment process, conviction of an infamous crime or at the ballot box. 

Of the dozen speakers who were asking for some sort of discipline, I was most stuck by Christina Martinez. Actually, it was her 9 year old son whose words tell me we have a problem. When she told him she was coming to county council to urge action against Keegan, he expressed concern. "What if they shoot you?" he asked his mother. 

A 9-year-old child should not have to worry that his mother is putting his life in danger when she petitions her government for the redress of grievances. The fact that he would think this is a sorry indictment of just how far we've fallen in our democratic form of government. Martinez said we are entitled to leaders who "lift us up." We've seen the opposite, and that is pretty much true of Keegan. But it's also true of Donald Trump.  

After everyone had finished, Council President Lori Vargo Heffner read a statement: 

I have received several messages from constituents this week with concerns about a social media post. I want to acknowledge reading all of them and thank our citizens for participating in county government with their correspondence. I want to address some of those concerns. I have consulted with our solicitor, and we have reviewed the Home Rule Charter, Administrative Code and our council code of conduct. While the county has a clear social media policy for employees, it does not apply to Council, as we are elected officials and not supervised by the Administration. We are a body comprised of 9 members who serve at the pleasure of those who elected us to fill these positions. We take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We are expected to collaborate, debate, discuss issues and oversee the county budget and create legislation. We are expected to follow our code of civility, to have these discussions with respect for everyone’s opinion. While some of us are subdued in our approach and others more vociferous, we all have a right to have our opinions heard in this room. What any of us think, feel, or believe outside of this room in the privacy of our own lives is not governed by this code. We as a body have limited authority to call for the removal of a commissioner, and according to the Charter, these conditions are not met by private actions on social media. 

 As President of Council, I was elected to ensure that this body runs smoothly, and I have made it my mission to ensure that each of us gets time and deference to express our views in meetings. I take the separation of powers seriously and defend this body’s right to independently make decisions. I serve all the citizens of the county and choose to do so with decorum and dignity, not dysregulation. I was elected to serve in this role and recognize that this means to represent all of you, respective of party, privilege, beliefs. I take the privilege of the public’s right to address us just as seriously and ask for your respect and tolerance of us while doing so. While I may disagree with my colleagues at times either professionally or personally, I will continue to honor the code and work of this body as a whole. I continue to be willing to hear you and to the best of my ability, address your concerns when possible. Thank you for hearing and supporting this Council’s work.

Vargo Heffner had a perfect opportunity to bury Keegan, who has actively undermined her and has done her best to turn other Democrats against her. Instead of seeking a censure, for which there is precedent, she chose to take the high road. And even John Goffredo, County Council's most vocal conservative, agreed with her. He said the people should decide whether they want Keegan to continue, not Council. But he added that if she wanted to resign, he'd be happy to accept it.  

95 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although I agree with you about tRUMP not being "uplifting", there was no need for you to invoke his name. This was all about Keegen's behavior. She, like any other bully runs her mouth but fails to show up when it gets tough. The only way she got away with this is because she's a politician (and I use that word very loosely). She knows council cannot do anything to her except for a basically toothless censure. Now, I will mention tRUMP. One of his biggest problems is he doesn't know when to shut his mouth. Time will tell if Kelly learns that lesson. Like tRUMP, I doubt she will learn from her mistakes.

Anonymous said...

What do you expect from democrats they are lower than whale shit band that is at the bottom of the ocean.

Matthew Flower said...

Keegan's commentary is obviously an issue, but council did exactly what I expected they would do. They condemned the behavior, they passed a resolution that, while full of appropriate sentiment, has no teeth, and they moved on to the business of governing...as they should.

I am not fan of Kelly Keegan as an elected official, and I believe that in light of her recent behavior, she should resign from council.

However, I cannot force her to resign and neither can her fellow members of council. Any forcible removal of a council member under the home rule charter would surely be met by litigation and likely be overturned by the judiciary. It would serve as a distraction that would detract from effective governance and create unnecessary political turmoil. The decision to resign would have to be made by Keegan herself. And despite her tearful claims of "wanting to be better", I do not believe she has any sincere remorse. She has a history of over the top commentary and behavior, including a politcally related physical altercation at Forks Township Community Days just over a year ago that required law enforcement intervention. This time she went so far as to attract negative attention across Northampton County and beyond and was held accountable (at least in part), and rightly so.

To add insult to injury, Keegan didn't even have the cajones to show up in person, face the music and address the constituents she so deeply offended. As Robert Dandi pointed out, Keegan chose the path of the keyboard warrior...spewing vitriol from the safety of social media and then ducking accountability by phoning in her council appearance.

While nothing would have excused her commentary, Keegan could have shown some sincere remorse by appearing at council and apologizing for her behavior to both those in attendance and the council she serves with. She made a conscious choice not to do that.

Last night, Kelly Keegan showed us who she is, and we should believe her.




Anonymous said...

Hat tip to Vargo Hefner.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to Lori Vargo Heffner for turning down the temperature and explaining the county's rules and regulations in a respectful manner. Civility is an under rated virtue. At the very least, Keegan should take this incident as a learning opportunity about how to conduct herself in meetings and on social media.

Anonymous said...

I agree that Christina Martinez's son's comment was a chilling wake up call. Our society is broken when a 9 year old has a legitimate concren for the safety of his parent and wonders if she will be murdered for expressing her political opinion.

When I - one of those 15 citizens - spoke at the Council meeting, I quoted the unanimous resolution of the US Senate, which named Charlie and Erika Kirk, and "honors Charlie Kirk's commitment to the constitutional principles of civil discussion and debate between all people of the United States, regardless of political affiliation." Then I said, "If this Council fails to meaningfully limit the hateful speech and leadership of Kelly Keegan it will fail the test of a civil political body, and the Democrats in this council will be voting against basic humanity. In less than two months I pray that the people of Northampton County will show that they have more humanity than their current elected leaders."

The Council passed a corefully-worded resulution, unanimusly. It was not enough. They should have done more. However, I pray that good behavior will follow those good words. If members of NORCO County Council work toward supporting "the constitutional principles of civil discussion and debate between all people of the United States, regardless of political affiliation," they will accomplish something that is very important to our community.

Let's see.

Scott Janney

Anonymous said...

Jeff Warren playing a sound clip of President Trump after speaking about political violence is cowardly, finger pointing, shameful but expected deflection. Maybe he needs to listen to the times Maxine, Nancy, Booker etc etc have called for violence and unrest.

Anonymous said...

It was very sad to see the Easton Highschool girl talk. You can hear the vitriol in her voice. She claims everyone, but her, is "biased" never self examining her own beliefs she lifted off of Reddit. Her attempts to justify hateful speech without any care to fix the issue of violent rhetoric. Sad to see the next generation fall victim to this political divide.

Anonymous said...

The council is one thing, the school is another. Freedom of speech does not free you from the consequences of what you say. Employers have a right to enforce conduct rules. In this instance we are talking about a medical professional celebrating murder. It’s especially egregious! I don’t want my kid anywhere near her because she obviously has mental health problems.

Anonymous said...

The Jimmy Kimmel thing is hilarious. Where were all these free speech warriors when they canned Roseanne Barr from her show?

Anonymous said...

The Council President's statement is very well-written, professional, and responsible.

Even though I live in Northampton County, I am registered as No Party. An individual's conduct and performance is all that matters to me. I would consider voting for Lori Vargo Heffner if I get the opportunity. I have already decided not to vote for Kelly Keegan if that opportunity arises.

Anonymous said...

So she phone it in. Now there’s a profile in courage.

Anonymous said...

15 to 3, eh? That's a rout not in her favor. Take the hint and resign from council.

Anonymous said...

I appreciate the District employees remarks. It’s important to remember that such hateful people walk among us. She has done us a service.

Anonymous said...

Northampton trotted out its best and most offended complainers last night. I get it — their world has been upended by all the terrible things they’ve read, heard, or been told by other complainers. But here's the thing: If you don’t like what Keegan said, just ignore it. She has every right to voice her opinion, no matter what her job is. Same goes for Charlie Kirk. He’s said some pretty outrageous stuff, but I ignored it, just like I did with Keegan. I’m not interested in what either of them have to say. I have my own opinions and don’t need anyone telling me how to think.

Keegan’s writing her opinion, Kirk’s speaking his, and that’s all protected by the First Amendment — for a reason. But what’s worrying is how the world seems to be moving toward censorship, where people can’t handle hearing something they don’t like without throwing a fit. It’s honestly sad.

Anonymous said...

Charlie Kirk was a strong advocate of the 1st Amendment, unlike his killer, who is a coward, who killed him and tried to hide.

Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised that the Coward Keegan didnt show up, due to her personal safety. Another keyboard warrior who types before she thinks- this would've been different story if this were a Republican who posted such vile comments. How can anyone ever take Koo Koo Keegan seriously?

Anonymous said...

The left is screaming to boycott Disney now because of Kimmel. This is surreal LOL.

Anonymous said...

Local politics in Northampton are as bad as they are in Washington DC

Anonymous said...

Now Kelly states she’s inspired by Jeff Warren’s words and wants to be a “better person “. Nice words if she only meant it. She’s now faced with many potential losses; namely, her job and her nursing license. Probably most important to her, however, is her loss of “power” within the Democratic Party. Candidates began to move away from her when they realized that she really “did it” this time. There was no apology of any type. She’d do it again in a heart beat. Perhaps the young high school student who spoke last night will be happier when the “complexion” of council changes in November when several new Republicans are elected to council. Charlie Kirk “didn’t deserve it” and we don’t deserve Kelly Keegan on council.

Anonymous said...

Cowards! This IS what they are. Cowards!

Anonymous said...

Koo Koo Keegan needs to go!

Anonymous said...

There was plenty of MAGA red meat in several of the comments last night, but what surprised me the most was the diversity of lived experiences people shared. A witness to horrific violence, a person possibly neglected by our criminal justice system, a student with arguably more relevant experience to the matter at hand than anybody else. These folks were all reminders that the system we have is failing vulnerable populations every day. And yet, these people made the decision to come out and speak on a topic that Council has little power to act upon. Each of these comments reflect a call for help, even if the help that would be most beneficial isn't the one they are coming out to speak on.

On our elected officials, Goffredo and Vargo Heffner deserve far more credit than they are likely to receive in the coming days. They demonstrated a level-headedness and empathy that is increasingly rare in our public servants. They also struck me as very sincere, wishing deeply to turn down the temperature and get to the important work of serving the public in the ways that County Council can. At an especially violent and vitriolic time, it would have been easy for party politics (or even county politics) to dominate; but I like to think that Vargo Heffner and Goffredo recognized the significance of the current political moment and conducted themselves in the way that strong leadership requires. One can only hope that the voters reward this kind of leadership in November.

Anonymous said...

That child did not say that lol

Anonymous said...

Sound and fury signifying nothing. In about 6 weeks Siegel and Zrinski will post 40K votes each in Lehigh and Northampton counties. MAGA won't be able to match that. Game over.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Yes, I was impressed by some of the speakers bothered by what Keegan had said. Ms. Martinez and the woman who watched her father kill her mother in front of her were moving. The 20 yo nursing student from Northampton was quite eloquent. But the realtor and Geissinger were just there to exploit the matter politically. And one fellow who called Keegan a "wicked witch" has an obvious personal agenda.

Anonymous said...

You say that like it’s a good thing lol

Bernie O'Hare said...

Scott, I'd say that about 9 of the 12 speakers who chided Keegan, including you, were well-spoken. Frankly, I would have voted to strongly condemn her remarks, especially since these are by no means the first. She did, as one speaker noted, publicly celebrate the death of one of her critics. She has wished for the death of some people who die because of Trump policies if they are related to Rs. And though she is a school nurse, she mocked students who are disabled.

Anonymous said...

I don’t want a school nurse that glorifies murder treating my kid at school. Period.
Employers are allowed to enforce codes of conduct. You are not free from the consequences of your speech. What part of that don’t you get? As was stated in the meeting, county employees have social media guidelines they must follow. Yes, it doesn’t apply to elected officials, but EASD has every right to fire her.

Bernie O'Hare said...

It was about Keegan's remarks, but how did these outrageous statements become normalized? It started with Trump. You can agree with his policies (I don't) but I want leaders who "lift us up," as Ms. Martinez said.

Anonymous said...

These same people censored speech throughout Covid. Facebook Twitter all of it. They even tried to get Spotify to dump Joe Rogan. The hypocrisy is mind numbing.

Anonymous said...

Very well said sir. Thank you for speaking at the meeting.

Anonymous said...

go away you wacky lefty

Anonymous said...

@8:14
Charlie Kirk isn’t my children’s school nurse.

Anonymous said...

Koo Koo Keegan was never a courageous person- just like the assassin- a coward!

Anonymous said...

@8:32
Praise God you don’t live in Lehigh County.

Anonymous said...

That's all they read- the garbage on the internet!

Anonymous said...

Scott Janney is dead on. Good job last night Scott. I truly appreciate having a reasonable conservative voice who is active in these matters.

Anonymous said...

you are part of the problem

Anonymous said...

Hear, hear!

Anonymous said...

I agree however did they condemn her behavior?

Anonymous said...

Glad they didn't trample on Keegs free speech rights, they should hear her roar after a few jumbo sized goblets of vino she can really lay it on you don't cross her haters will be served on TikTok by e Felicia!

Anonymous said...

Social media was unleashed on the general public with little to no boundaries. This is what happens when keyboard warriors of the general population are left to their own devices. It also doesn't help when the leader of the soon to be not free?? world spews inappropriate comments constantly. If you go back prior to 2015, most politicians would be dead in the water for uttering his visceral nonsense. We are regressing as a society. Let's use this opportunity to take a good look at ourselves. You like social media? Use it for its supposed original intent, connecting with old friends and family. Let's see if we can turn this around...or is it too late?

Anonymous said...

Celebrating death and stating the world is better without him is what's sad. And you apparently are unable to see the important difference between free speech and hatred and evil

Anonymous said...

12:34- while reading your comment, I swear that you were posting about Lower Saucon Council Members, especially that loudmouth bully, Priscilla Deleon. She constantly bullies and bad-mouths people. Then, anytime she believes she'll get called on the carpet for her deplorable behavior, she phones it in. Ask anyone on previous Councils.

Anonymous said...

Tara Z. and Josh S….game over indeed. Who could imagine that things could sink to this level?

Anonymous said...

Christina Martinez was upset that Keegan openly spews hatred was in office. Does she miss the near daily social media posts of Trump? Does she question why he is in office? She thinks that public officials should represent all people. Keegan posted her thoughtless comments but nothing that indicated her representation. Does she miss who Trump represents, only the republican.

Anonymous said...

She said no one looked like her.

Anonymous said...

Have you noticed both the Morning Call and WFMZ rarely give viewers and readers an opportunity to make timely comments on their reports. It was much different a few years ago. My personal opinion is, both would rather not have to defend some of the crap they display.

Anonymous said...

LOL Nurses and other healthcare professionals don't take the Hippocratic Oath

Anonymous said...

For some reason, Trump is making a strong effort to eradicate criminals from several major, Democrat run cities. Hundreds of thousands of residents living in those places have expressed their praise and thanks for his success. Surely, not all of those folks are Republicans! This helps every law-abiding citizen living in those places. No matter what their political preference.

Anonymous said...

Trump closes border, Trump will spot crime look at Dc next Memphis, He handles the drugs the correct way blows the boats out of the water, Pus down Tariffs the right way and many other great things to make Anmerica Great. What politician could do what Trump is doing none period .

Anonymous said...

This has nothing to do with your conservative values and everything to do with the upcoming election in November.
Your socials show how partisan you are, and some of the vitriol you have shown on there shows you to be no different than Keegan.

Anonymous said...

@11:53 I read her comments, and I never saw her celebrating his death. Sure, she mentioned that his family might be better off without him. Maybe they are, maybe they're not. Those were her personal opinions, made outside her role as a nurse or a councilmember. Every day, we see public officials post mean, hateful, racist, or questionable remarks, but for some reason, you're unable to recognize the important difference here—unless, of course, your moral stance is influenced by something more political.

Anonymous said...

"Wake up—this whole issue is driven by political division and is a matter of moral turpitude

Anonymous said...

Who could forget Maxine Waters! If you see a Trump supporter as a gasoline station or grocery get in their face she screamed. What a useless old hag!

Anonymous said...

Bernie, Thank you so much. What you just said is an example of civil discourse. You probably didn’t agree with some (most?) of my comments, but you were gracious in saying that most of us were well-spoken.

NORCO Council could not remove Kelly Keegan, I agree, but they should have done more. That resolution didn’t even name the dead man or their member of Council who celebrated his death.

If I was a Republican member of NORCO Council I may have accepted the resolution as the best a minority party could get. But in the process I would have pushed for naming both Keegan & Charlie Kirk, and then fallen back to mentioning at least Charlie by name like the resolution that won unanimous consent in the US Senate.

We’re all watching now to see if the words of the resolution are followed by similar actions.

Scott Janney

Anonymous said...

Oh Bernie it started way before Trump. Trump just perfected the art of making the liberal head explode lol.

Anonymous said...

I never thought I would be typing this……Vargo showed leadership qualities I didn’t know she had. I haven’t been a fan but I must acknowledge a good job when I see it.

Anonymous said...

So glorifying someone’s murder is ok? But but but…….Trump!

Anonymous said...

Kimmel out- the view is next and then you Bernie.

Anonymous said...

BOH @11:11AM "...outrageous statements became normalized...It started with Trump."

To support your assertion, please provide that date/time and direct quotation when Trump "started" this normalization. I assume that historical context will be before any "outrageous" statements by anyone on the other side of the aisle.

Anonymous said...

As a Democrat, I expect the vitriol coming from your acquired hatred with no chance of expecting anything else.

Anonymous said...

You just violated the 2nd commandment! You took the Lord of Thy God's Name in vain!!!

I dare any MAGA to debate me.

Anonymous said...

For his entire life, Trump fights back fearlessly. Attack him and you'll get an equal, or heavier, response back. Some people can't handle that. I admire it.

Anonymous said...

How's this for a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate unity. Today, the House attempted to pass a Resolution to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk.

The Congressional Black Caucus voted unanimously AGAINST that motion. Doubt you'll hear about this in the Morning Call. But, maybe.

Anonymous said...

Warren’s remarks were very measured and well thought out. He was critical of both the extreme left and extreme right, critical of both Trump and Keegan. He was actually a voice of reason.

Anonymous said...

Lehigh county is as bad as Northampton County but Bernie as enough news from Northampton but Lehigh has its share of assholes.

Anonymous said...

Jimmy Kimmel to Aaron Rodgers: You can’t just put out misinformation. How ironic!

Anonymous said...

It started with Obama if you ask me. Trump is just loud and bombastic about it. Then they kicked him off Twitter. The same people who cheered that are crying about free speech now. This is the problem for democrats, they have legitimate points, but they are guilty of everything they’re trying to stick on republicans now.

Anonymous said...

She said the world was better off without him....what part of that is hard to understand???

Anonymous said...

Remember this Bernie, from Chuck Schumer
“You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decision” that was in reference to
Justice Kavanaugh. Then someone tried to kill him .
What about maxine Waters:
“If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant … you get out, and you create a crowd, and you push back on them. And you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”
Or Nancy Pelosi talking about Trump:
“If he comes, I’m going to punch him out … I’ve been waiting for this … I’m going to punch him out, and I’m going to go to jail, and I’m going to be happy.”
So let’s not keep spewing BS that Trump is causing all this. Democrats play a huge part in this too.

Anonymous said...

She’s been spewing this crap for years. The funniest part of the night was her telling Warren he will make her a better person. Meanwhile Warren is liking all her post. Keegan was probably giving the finger to everyone on the phone and double when she spoke. Satan does exist and it’s KK.

Anonymous said...

Obviously you never heard of code of conduct. Every company has one.

Anonymous said...

Write a letter to the editor. I do it and they are published within a week.

Anonymous said...

Trump is going after free speech like no other before him. Lose it at your peril.

Anonymous said...

Did you see AOC ranting against it? Terrible!

Anonymous said...

Exactly right! They censored everyone during Covid! Kimmel’s show was a nightly lecture to tow the government line. Cheer the shutdowns. They kicked Trump off of Twitter! Now all of a sudden they’re free speech warriors. Hypocrites!

Anonymous said...

Democrats are anti America they must be deported with the illegals AOC is a terrible leader she should have stayed in the bar business But the New York people who voted for her are the real assholes.

Anonymous said...

KOO KOO Keegan and goofy Warren are the absolute worst Council Members.

Anonymous said...

Typical Coward behavior: a keyboard warrior who is afraid to defend their post/behavior to your face. That's Koo Koo Keegan. God forbid a Republican's kid needs her services at school!

Anonymous said...

Keegan never said she was sorry for her actions. Also, Wannabe Winston Churchill Warren, used his usual puffery and performance politics to give a silly speech complete with Trump soundbite recording. The guy is still tool. Given his performance and Keegans quick response, one could say it was practiced and performed. overall, council handled it well but no remorse and no real recognition of what she did wrong.

Anonymous said...

More and more are being fired for their comments. One today said the world is better off just like keegan did. Just she gets off without even an apology. Hope at least the school district holds her accountable

Anonymous said...

Bernie O’Hare to all: this post is not about Kimmel, Barr or anyone but Kelly Keegan.

Anonymous said...

This post is not about the truth it is a left-wing blog and the truth is Bernie your left wingers are far worse than the nazis.

Anonymous said...

Everyone, including Koo Koo Keegan, should read the personal message Charlie Kirk sent to Van Jones the day before he was assassinated. All of us, especially Koo Koo could learn something about human decency!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Tricia, do us all a favor and go away.

Anonymous said...

LOL I like that you publish her post to tell her to buzz off. It brings levity when people are furiously posting because they’re all wound up about this topic.

Anonymous said...

The bro code? That's what he said to me.

Anonymous said...

Your communication skills are certainly that of a Trumpster! Lol!

Anonymous said...

Who cares how it is said.....what matters is someone taking action over things let go for too long. Cheap shot but I would expect t that from someone who can't do anything else

Anonymous said...

There were many "Kelly Keegans" all across this nation who have now made it much more difficult for Democrats to win their upcoming elections. The evidence I'm seeing indicates Democrats are under a barrage of condemnation for their callous response to this event.

No doubt in my mind, the best option for Keegan and others is to make a very public apology and ask for forgiveness.

Anonymous said...

It appears that a Kelly Keegan account on FB is a fake, thus some of the remarks attributed to her may be in error. With that said, I think her job could be in jeopardy not because of the Kirk post, but her history of nastiness. Celebrating a political opponent’s death and mocking 504 needs are far worse than anything she said about Kirk and doesn’t represent the EASD very well.

Bernie O'Hare said...

There are numerous Kelly Keegan FB accounts. Some have confused these for the Kelly Keegan who sits on NorCo Council, but the statements concerning Kirk, 504s and Ed Reagan are definitely her.

Anonymous said...

You are part of the problem