A substitute teacher in Colorado Springs has been placed on administrative leave after a video she filmed at home showing her young daughters reacting to "good news" went viral, prompting an investigation by the school district and widespread social media criticism.
The clip, recorded last month and posted publicly before the teacher deleted her accounts, shows Krista Cole asking the children whether she had "the best news ever." When one child suggested — incorrectly — that former President Donald Trump had died, the girls exclaimed. The exchange continued with the children guessing other public figures' deaths before Cole revealed the news was the engagement of entertainers Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
Chipeta Elementary School's district placed Cole on leave while officials conduct a review. "When there is a concern that an employee may have violated a district policy in an egregious manner, it is our practice to place them on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough review," a district spokesperson said. The district added that the matter is being handled administratively and that "there is no safety threat to Chipeta Elementary," while emphasizing its focus on a "safe, supportive learning environment for our students."
Cole, identified in reporting as a substitute teacher in the Colorado Springs public school system, is married to Adam Cole, who is listed as a lieutenant colonel in the Colorado National Guard. News organizations reached out to Cole and to the Colorado National Guard for comment. Cole's public social media pages were deleted after the video circulated.
The clip prompted a surge of reactions on social media, with some users calling for Cole or her husband to lose their positions and others urging child welfare authorities to investigate. Several posts criticized the content of the exchange and questioned the parents' judgment in sharing it publicly.
The video surfaced in a tense national moment following the Sept. 10 fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at a Utah university, a development that intensified public discussion about political rhetoric and violence. The circulation of the home-recorded clip fed into broader debates about political polarization and the impact of partisan discourse on children and public life.
School districts routinely place employees on leave when allegations arise that require administrative review, and officials said they could not provide additional details while the process is under way. It was not immediately clear whether the district will pursue disciplinary action beyond the leave, or what policies, if any, investigators will cite in their review.
Reporting organizations attempting to verify the timing and full circumstances of the recording and its distribution said the video was originally posted on a personal account that has since been taken down. Representatives for Cole did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the Colorado National Guard also did not provide comment by the time of publication.
The incident highlights ongoing conversations among educators, parents and policymakers about the boundaries between private expression and professional responsibilities when school employees are active on social media. District officials said their priority remains student safety and support while they complete their administrative review.