Women’s Studies Professor Kevin Allred at Montclair State University is back in the news. Allred previously attracted national attention (while on the Rutgers faculty) after he was reportedly ordered to go through a psychiatric evaluation after students “felt threatened” by him following Trump’s election. Now, Allred (who teaches a course on Beyonce) posted a comment that he hoped someone would kill Donald Trump. As should come as little surprise to many who know my view of the First Amendment, I view this statement as protected speech and hyperbolic. However, it was reckless, hateful, and worthy of condemnation.
I must also confess that I am perplexed by the fact that a professor is teaching (and students are getting credit) for a course on Beyonce. Hopefully there is something substantive in such a course though Allred’s public comments do not offer much basis for optimism.
In a tweet, Allred reportedly wrote “Trump is a f***ing joke. This is all a sham. I wish someone would just shoot him outright. “The tweet was reportedly withdrawn, according to the Washington Times.
Allred also retweeted the infamous image of Kathy Griffin holding the president’s head.
Allred later clarified that wishing death on the president is different than making a threat on his life. There is a federal law making it a crime to threaten the life of a president.
It is unfortunately very common for people to speak violently about those they despise or oppose. Yet, academics as a whole prefer logical and reasoned discourse over such low-grade hateful venting.
The controversy again forces a school to decide on how much free speech is accorded a faculty member in the use of social media and engaging in political speech. Recently, we discussed a case of Trinity Professor who posted racist material against white people but the school still refused to take action against him under principles of free speech — a position that I supported. There is a rising concern that most schools are imposing an uncertain and undefined standard in judging what comments can be a basis for discipline and what comments are treated as an exercise of free speech.
