Rutgers University Professor Demoted over Accusations of Anti-Semitism

Rutgers University has removed Professor Michael Chikindas from his role as the Director of the Center for Digestive Health over longstanding accusations of anti-semitism.

Rutgers University food science Professor Michael Chikindas faced several sanctions as a result of credible accusations of anti-semitism. Chikindas was removed from teaching required courses at the university and has been booted from his role as the Director of the Center for Digestive Health at the New Jersey Institute for Food, a part of Rutgers University. Chikindas will also be forced to attend cultural sensitivity training.

Chikindis came under fire earlier this year after he used his Facebook page to question the number killed in the Holocaust. In a separate post, Chikindas alleged that “Israel takes money from starving American children.”

“These Jewish “motherf*ckers do not control me,” he wrote in another post. They can go and f*ck each other in their fat a****,” he wrote in another post. He also allegedly posted various anti-semitic cartoons.

In a letter, Rutgers President Robert L. Barchi and Chancellor Debasish Dutta detailed their plan to discipline Chikindas, calling the situation “sad and deeply troubling.”“This material perpetuated toxic stereotypes and was deeply upsetting to Jewish students, faculty, and staff across our community. The fears and concerns they have expressed to us and many university leaders are both justified and understandable,” the letter said.

“This has been a sad and deeply troubling situation for our students and our staff and for our faculty, who stand for much nobler values than those expressed by this particular professor,” the letter added. “While the University is and should always be a place that challenges students to grapple with complex and even controversial ideas, this situation has threatened the trust between professors and students that is a prerequisite to learning.”

The letter also noted that the university will seek additional disciplinary measures through future conversations with the faculty union.