Antwon Mitchell
Banned
SU professor receives violent threats over controversial 9/11 comments
By James T. Mulder | jmulder@syracuse.com
Syracuse, N.Y. – A Syracuse University professor’s controversial social media comments about 9/11 have triggered violent threats and calls for the school to fire her.
But SU officials are supporting the professor’s right to free speech and have contacted local, state and federal law enforcement about the threats against her.
In a series of tweets posted Sept. 10, professor Jenn M. Jackson said she was disturbed to hear white television pundits say 9/11 was the first time Americans ever felt fear.
“White Americans might not have truly felt fear before 9/11 because they never felt what it meant to be accessible, vulnerable, and on the receiving end of military violence at home,” said Jackson, who is Black. “Plenty of us Americans know what it’s like to experience fear and we knew before 9/11.”
In another tweet, Jackson said Sept. 11 was an attack on the “heteropatriarchal capitalist systems America relies upon to wrangle other countries into passivity. It was an attack on the systems many white Americans fight to protect.”
Jackson posted her comments the day before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, Virginia and Pennsylvania that killed 2,977 people and injured more than 25,000. Many ceremonies were held across the country Saturday to remember those who died in the attacks.
Jackson is an assistant professor of political science in the Maxwell School. She could not be reached for comment. Calls to her office were transferred to the Maxwell dean’s office, which referred Syracuse.com to SU’s public affairs office.
Sarah Scalise, an SU spokeswoman, said a prepared statement issued today by SU Chancellor Kent Syverud and Maxwell School Dean David Van Slyke were the only comments available on the controversy.
“What cannot be tolerated are the harassment and violent threats that we have seen in response that have been directed at this professor,” Syverud and Slyke said.
They said her comments have been the subject of much scrutiny and vehement disagreement by critics.
“That is their right, just as our professor has the right to free speech, however uncomfortable it may make anyone feel,” Syverud and Van Slyke said.
They said SU will not condemn Jackson’s remarks or dismiss her as some critics have demanded.
“Speech can be offensive, hurtful or provocative,” they said. “Still, Syracuse University will stand by the principles of free speech and by our commitment to keeping our community safe in the face of threats and harassment.
By James T. Mulder | jmulder@syracuse.com
Syracuse, N.Y. – A Syracuse University professor’s controversial social media comments about 9/11 have triggered violent threats and calls for the school to fire her.
But SU officials are supporting the professor’s right to free speech and have contacted local, state and federal law enforcement about the threats against her.
In a series of tweets posted Sept. 10, professor Jenn M. Jackson said she was disturbed to hear white television pundits say 9/11 was the first time Americans ever felt fear.
“White Americans might not have truly felt fear before 9/11 because they never felt what it meant to be accessible, vulnerable, and on the receiving end of military violence at home,” said Jackson, who is Black. “Plenty of us Americans know what it’s like to experience fear and we knew before 9/11.”
In another tweet, Jackson said Sept. 11 was an attack on the “heteropatriarchal capitalist systems America relies upon to wrangle other countries into passivity. It was an attack on the systems many white Americans fight to protect.”
Jackson posted her comments the day before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, Virginia and Pennsylvania that killed 2,977 people and injured more than 25,000. Many ceremonies were held across the country Saturday to remember those who died in the attacks.
Jackson is an assistant professor of political science in the Maxwell School. She could not be reached for comment. Calls to her office were transferred to the Maxwell dean’s office, which referred Syracuse.com to SU’s public affairs office.
Sarah Scalise, an SU spokeswoman, said a prepared statement issued today by SU Chancellor Kent Syverud and Maxwell School Dean David Van Slyke were the only comments available on the controversy.
“What cannot be tolerated are the harassment and violent threats that we have seen in response that have been directed at this professor,” Syverud and Slyke said.
They said her comments have been the subject of much scrutiny and vehement disagreement by critics.
“That is their right, just as our professor has the right to free speech, however uncomfortable it may make anyone feel,” Syverud and Van Slyke said.
They said SU will not condemn Jackson’s remarks or dismiss her as some critics have demanded.
“Speech can be offensive, hurtful or provocative,” they said. “Still, Syracuse University will stand by the principles of free speech and by our commitment to keeping our community safe in the face of threats and harassment.
