Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Contact 90.5 WESA with a story idea or news tip: news@wesa.fm

PA Teacher Investigated For Portraying Nazi At Pro Wrestling Events

Martin Meissner
/
AP
An iron cross reading 1914 remembers fallen German soldiers of the First World War at a memorial in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Modern German law prohibits the production of items and insignia like the cross now synonymous with the Nazi cause.

An eastern Pennsylvania school district is investigating a teacher who portrays a Nazi villain named "Blitzkrieg" at local professional wrestling events.

The Spring-Ford Area School District launched the probe after video surfaced of Kevin Bean performing at a wrestling event in the Philadelphia suburbs. The video showed Bean, as Blitzkrieg, carrying a flag bearing the German Iron Cross and chanting the "Sieg Heil" Nazi salute.

Blitzkrieg, 36, is listed as a "superstar" on the World Wide Wrestling Alliance website. Wrestling videos posted online show Bean in character as Blitzkrieg at least as far back as 2012, goose-stepping into the ring and extending his hand in a Nazi salute.

Bean did not immediately return a phone message Tuesday.

The district's website said he has been a teacher at Spring-Ford since 2004. Spring-Ford officials said they are conducting an internal investigation.

"I want to assure you that the actions portrayed in this video do not represent the core values of the school district," Superintendent David Goodin said in a message on the district website.

Dino Sanna, president of the World Wide Wrestling Alliance, did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.