Family: Oldham County teacher killed in Washington DC was a 'champion' to his students
Maxwell Emerson impacted his students through his compassion and empathy during his time as a social studies teacher and assistant wrestling coach at Oldham County High School, his sister told The Courier Journal.
Emerson, a 25-year-old man killed in a shooting Wednesday in Washington, D.C., “left a really good impression" on kids in his class as he got to know them and understand them, his older sister Ellen Emerson said.
"The quote that's been going around is 'Champions find a way.’ That's what he said to his students a lot," she said. "He always connected to his students really well, too. He had a really good rapport with all the students."
Emerson was attending the Library of Congress Teacher Institute, his mother Chandra Holloway Emerson said, when he was shot Wednesday. He had been in Washington, D.C. since Saturday to take part in a three-day professional development workshop and to sightsee along with his mom and twin brother.
His mother said he was a leader who was compassionate, non-judgmental and truthful. He stood for what was right and loved sports — his favorite team was the University of Kentucky.
"Max was a champion in all senses of the word — spiritually, in his heart, mind, body, soul," his mother said. "He worked every day to get better, to be a better person."
Emerson was born in Lexington but he and his family moved to Crestwood in 2000. He went to Oldham County High School where he won a state championship in wrestling in his senior year. He stayed in Kentucky for college, wrestling and earning a degree in education from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg. He had taught at Oldham County High since 2021.
He is survived by his twin brother Brady Emerson, along with his sister, parents and grandparents. He also had a nearly year-old nephew, Ellen Emerson's son, who she said he loved.
"He was a great uncle," she said. "He really took that responsibility seriously and showed me that he would have been a really good father someday.”
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Oldham County High School Principal Natalie Brown said the news about his death was devastating.
"Coach Emerson embodied all that is good in our world. His devotion to his students and athletes enriched their lives and will be greatly missed. The hole in our school and the community will be felt for years to come," Brown said in a Facebook post.
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While local police initially said Emerson and the shooter knew each other, according to The Washington Post, family members have said he didn't know anyone in the city. His mother said he sent her a text in the morning that said he was being robbed at gunpoint. The family contacted police when they realized he was in danger, and his body was later found near Catholic University.
The shooter has not been arrested. The Washington Post reported D.C. Assistant Police Chief Leslie Parsons said it appears Emerson and the assailant arrived at the scene where the offense occurred together and he was shot after they got in a dispute.
"My son is a victim of gun violence," his mother said. "And we have to do something in our country to alleviate that."
But she said Maxwell Emerson would have forgiven the person, and so does she.
Ellen Emerson said there are no services planned at the moment. She said his body is still in Washington, D.C. and transportation is expensive.
However, Oldham County High hosted a drop-off for condolences at the school Friday and will hold it again from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Monday through Thursday. His aunt, Stephanie Bailey, also created a GoFundMe to help the family pay for the funeral services and transporting him back to Kentucky.
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Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Maxwell Emerson, Kentucky teacher shot in Washington DC, remembered
