A Michigan Technological University professor has been relieved of his duties after being caught calling a group of conservative students “childish, stupid, homophobic, dumb, racist twits” for celebrating the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, according to an email obtained by the student group.
Young America’s Foundation’s (YAF) student activist organization, Young Americans for Freedom, was celebrating the thirty-fourth anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down on November 9 with their own “wall” displayed on the Michigan Tech campus.
Left-wing vandals angered over the groups’ celebration of freedom spray painted and tore down the display, calling it “hate speech.”
One “socialist sympathizer” even told YAF members to “kill themselves,” the group reported.
Michigan Tech professor Dr. Carl Blair was later caught on an audio recording berating the freedom-loving students.
“For those of you who weren’t aware of it [YAF’s project], good. For those of you who were aware of it, it was childish, stupid, homophobic, dumb, racist twits. That’s the polite version,” Blair told students in the recording, released by YAF on Tuesday.
YAF’s journalistic publication, the New Guard, reached Dr. Blair by phone for comment on Tuesday.
“I stand by my words, and I have nothing else to say to you,” he said before hanging up.
On Thursday, however, an email obtained by the outlet suggested that the professor had been replaced following the incident.
“As an institution with a strong research focus, Michigan Tech vigorously supports freedom of speech and academic freedom,” the university’s provost wrote to students.
“We follow the Chicago Principles in this manner. With this, we expect an environment of respect and acceptance of diverse perspectives, perhaps most importantly within our classrooms. We regret this has not been your experience in this class this week,” it continued.
The message went on to say that Friday’s class would be canceled and that upon return to school from Thanksgiving break, a different instructor would be there for the “remainder of the semester.”
It is unclear whether Blair has been suspended, terminated, or reassigned to a different class.
“We’re very glad that the university is standing up for free speech and won’t back down even when professors go against it,” Andrew Keys, chairman of Michigan Tech YAF, said.