Professor Fired after Saying Hurricane Harvey Was ‘Instant Karma’ for Pro-Trump Texas

A university professor was fired after he said Hurricane Harvey was “instant Karma” for Texas after voting for President Trump.

Kenneth L. Storey, a professor at the University of Tampa, tweeted out a statement via Twitter which read: “I don’t believe in instant Karma, but this kinda feels like it for Texas. Hopefully this will help them realize the GOP doesn’t care about them.”

After Storey’s tweet began to pick up traction on social media, he deleted the statement and released an apology, where he said, “I deeply regret a statement I posted yesterday. I never meant to wish ill will upon any group. I hope all affected by Harvey recover quickly.”

But, as the Tampa Bay Times reports, the apology was not enough for university officials who decided to fire Storey.

“We condemn the comments and the sentiment behind them, and understand the pain this irresponsible act has caused,” University spokesman Eric Cardenas told the Tampa Bay Times. “As Floridians, we are well aware of the destruction and suffering associated with tropical weather.”

On the University’s Facebook page, school officials posted a separate response to Storey’s firing:

The University of Tampa stands in solidarity with the people impacted by Hurricane Harvey, and our thoughts and prayers are with all involved. The comments made by Kenneth Storey were made via his private social media account. They were not made within his capacity as a faculty member, and they don’t represent the University’s views. The University of Tampa condemns these comments and the sentiment behind them.”

In a statement to ABC News, Storey said his comments were taken out of context, saying that he was referencing the “GOP denial of climate change science”:

“I apologize for the the tweets. My intention was never to offend anyone. This was a series of tweets taken out of context,” Storey said. “I was referring to the GOP denial of climate change science and push to decrease funds from agencies that can help in a time like this. I hope all affected by the storm are safe and recover quickly. I also hope this helps the GOP realize the need to support climate change research and put in place better funding for agencies like NOAA and FEMA.”

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.