Florida school chair's vile Hulk Hogan post sparks outrage as she apologizes for celebrating WWE legend's death
The WWE icon died at the age of 71 on Thursday after suffering fatal cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida.
And while many fans took the time to share tributes to the wrestling legend, Florida county official Rockwell took aim at Hogan and his political views.
In a post on Facebook, Rockwell wrote: 'Oh did Hulk die? I didn't even know. Good. One less MAGA in the world'.
In a follow-up comment, she wrote: '[H]e worked with the McMahons to union bust professional wrestling.
'[H]e's never been a good guy. I feel absolutely nothing about his death.'
Rockwell seemingly mocked the death and claimed there was 'one less MAGA in the world'
After the comments went viral on social media, Rockwell swiftly deleted them before later issuing a statement apologizing for the 'flippant' remarks.
She wrote: 'A few days ago, I made a cruel and flippant comment from my personal Facebook account on a friend's post regarding the death of Hulk Hogan. I deeply regret making that comment and have since removed it.
'I want to make it very clear that I never have and never will wish harm on anyone regardless of whether we share political views. While I strongly disagree with some of the comments Hulk Hogan made, that is no excuse for my comment.'
'I also sincerely apologize for the way my comment has eroded confidence in my ability to represent all students, families, and staff in Alachua County.
'I want to assure all of you that the best interests of our children and our public schools are at the center of everything I do as a board member. I hope I have shown that by my record of advocacy for children, families, and staff members throughout Alachua County.
'Again, I apologize for the hurt and distrust I have caused with my insensitive comment. I will continue to do the hard work of putting our children and schools first. I hope that I can earn back your trust.'
Though Rockwell limited comments on the apology post, fans of Hogan swiftly flooded to her profile page where they left lashed out at the Florida school official.
'You'll never be half the man that Hulk Hogan was,' one wrote.
Hogan - whose real name is Terry Bollea - was reportedly working with the streaming giant on the unannounced project, which was set to chronicle his controversial life in and out of the ring, according to CNN.
Throughout his final months, Hogan battled through the emotional toll of a bitter family feud with ex-wife Linda and his daughter Brooke.
Rockwell later deleted her initial comments before sharing a groveling apology on Facebook
In an astonishing video on social media shared back in March, Linda first accused her former husband of being a 'complete liar' and 'sex addict' .
She also claimed their family is 'in the worst mess' after Brooke cut both parents out of her life, before hitting back at her mom by alleging that her dad was not the only reason behind the shocking family divide, claiming she was 'verbally and mentally abused' during her childhood.
'Sadly, it would frequently turn physical. And sometimes it's not by the person you would assume, abuse comes in all shapes and sizes,' Brooke alleged.
After Brooke's stunning response, Linda then took a dramatic U-turn by defending Hogan and branding her daughter a 'narcissist.'
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