Columbia U. Professor Tells Trump-Supporting Student to 'Drop Dead'

Columbia University professor and Deputy Chair of the political science department Jeffrey Lax called a conservative student a “neo-Nazi murderer lover” and told him to “drop dead” on social media over his support for President Donald Trump.

Columbia University professor and Deputy Chair of the school’s political science department Jeffrey Lax told a conservative student to “drop dead,” and called him a “neo-nazi murderer lover” on social media for agreeing with the president’s efforts in handling the Chinese virus, according to a report by the New York Post.

“Why don’t you just drop dead, you neo-nazi enabler,” said professor Lax to student Gabriel Montalvo during an argument on Facebook.

“I’m too educated to think you are honest,” added Lax in another comment to Montalvo. “I know someone defending the indefensible. Neo-nazi murderer lover. That’s all you are.”

Soon after, Montalvo took to Twitter to share Lax’s remarks and ask Columbia University if the professor’s comments were reflective of the college’s views.

“Libel or stupidity?” asked the student in his Twitter post. “[Columbia,] is this behavior reflective of the college’s views? A Deputy Chair at your university is telling a supporter of [President Trump] to go die over a difference of opinion?”

“He then has the gall to call a U.S. Soldier a Nazi!?” added Montalvo, who serves with the New York Army National Guard, according to the student’s Facebook page.

“Professors and higher education establishments should be examples of the exchange of civil discussion, not cyber harassment & perverting a historic tragedy to push an agenda,” added Montalvo in a follow-up tweet.

Montalvo, who is a student at CUNY Queensborough Community College, told New York Post that the argument started over a comment that he had left on a political cartoon that one of his former high school teachers had posted on Facebook.

“I commented on a political cartoon, where I defended President Trump on how he’s handled the pandemic,” said Montalvo. “Mr. Lax then attacked me — he responded very belligerently.”

The student added that he has filed a formal complaint with the university via email, and that a representative for Columbia President Lee Bollinger told him they would review the matter — but the student has not yet heard anything back from them.

Lax received his Ph.D. from New York University in 2001, according to his biography on the university’s website.

The biography goes on to state that the professor also studies “responsiveness to public opinion, with projects on the efficacy of majoritarian institutions, the effects of public opinion on the civil rights of gays and lesbians, and the confirmation of Supreme Court justices.”

Columbia University did not respond to Breitbart News’ request for comment.

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