UPDATED Wednesday, Feb. 5: Camas principal who suggested Kobe Bryant deserved to die put on leave

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A southwest Washington school principal apologized Monday for suggesting former NBA star Kobe Bryant’s death was deserved after he and several others were killed in a helicopter crash.

On the day of Bryant’s death, Liza Sejkora, principal of Camas High School, wrote on her personal Facebook page, "Not gonna lie. Seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today.''

In 2003, Bryant was accused of raping a 19-year-old employee at a Colorado resort. He said the two had consensual sex, and prosecutors later dropped the felony sexual assault charge at the request of the accuser. The woman later filed a civil suit against Bryant that was settled out of court.

Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people were killed Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash in suburban Calabasas, California.

Sejkora wrote later that day that she deleted her initial post “because the comments missed my intent. You are free to judge me for the post just as I am free to judge the person the post was about.”

She said in a message to families Monday that she wanted “to apologize for suggesting that a person’s death is deserved. It was inappropriate and tasteless.”

She also apologized for the disruption her post caused at school Monday and referred to it as “a personal, visceral reaction.”

“In education, we remind students to think before they post online, especially when feelings are inflamed,” she said. “We also teach our students about context. My emotions and past experiences got the best of me in that moment. We also teach our students that what we share online has permanency.”

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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