Twitter Suspends University Professor Who Said Kavanaugh Supporters 'Deserve Miserable Deaths'

A Georgetown University professor was suspended from Twitter on Tuesday after writing that Republican senators who were supporting Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "deserve miserable deaths while feminists laugh as they take their last gasps."

Carol Christine Fair, a professor in a security studies program, made a series of controversial tweets in the wake of sexual assault allegations made against Kavanaugh by three women, including Christine Blasey Ford. The FBI is now investigating the allegations.

While sharing a video of Senator Lindsey Graham on September 29, Fair tweeted: "Look at [this] chorus of entitled white men justifying a serial rapist's arrogated entitlement." Amid mounting backlash, the post added: "Bonus, we castrate their corpses and feed them to swine? Yes."

According to Campus Reform, which first reported on the tweets, Fair also runs multiple blogs—including Tenacious Hellpussy and ShitMenSay. In one post from September 23, Fair revealed she was a survivor of sexual assault. "I've been where Dr. Ford is today," she wrote. "I have lived her nightmare for years and I know too many other women who have and do as well."

On Monday, Fair reiterated a position firmly taken in the blog post, that her speech would not be softened simply because it offended the audience. "I along with millions of women…watch white males gather around a belligerent predator defending his and their privilege," a tweet stated. "I WILL use words that will make you as uncomfortable as I am."

Today, before the account was suspended, the professor again refused to tone down her language. Fair tweeted: "I will not use civil words to describe mass incivility. Don't expect me to. It's an absurd request. I will use words that make you as uncomfortable as I am with this regime."

According to Jon Levine, media editor at TheWrap.com, the account was suspended by Twitter in error. The profile has since been restored but now lacks blue tick verification.

Fair told Newsweek via email on Tuesday: "It's restored because of a social media outpouring criticizing Twitter for succumbing to the bullying of Fox News."

The offending tweet appears to have been deleted.

Fair was suspended — "in error" — from the platform after tweeting the following

She is a professor at Georgetown University pic.twitter.com/0R31SNa746

— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) October 2, 2018

Georgetown University's media relations manager, Matt Hill, said the views of faculty staff expressed in their private capacities are their own—not the university's.

"Our policy does not prohibit speech based on the person presenting ideas or the content of those ideas, even when those ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable," he said. "While faculty members may exercise freedom of speech, we expect that their classrooms and interaction with students be free of bias and geared toward thoughtful, respectful dialogue."

Carol Christine Fair
Carol Christine Fair, a professor of security studies at Georgetown University, made a series of controversial comments in the wake of sexual assault allegations made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Screenshot/YouTube/C.Christine Fair

On September 20, Fox News reported on Fair's comments, which included calling Kavanaugh a "perjurer" and a "rapist." She also tweeted that the GOP "doesn't care about women."

In a statement at the time, the professor said her comments were made on a personal social media profile and that her political stance did not have any impact on her ability to teach.

Three days later, Fair slammed the Fox article as an attempt to intimidate—and said it wouldn't work. "I have skin as thick as a T-Rex and I give NO F***S about their feelings," the professor wrote in the September post. "I cannot be intimidated. If I lose my job, I'll do something else."

This article was updated to include additional information about the suspended account.

GettyImages-1044092044
An activist holds a sign at a rally calling on Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) to reject Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court on October 1, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. Scott Eisen/Getty Images

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About the writer


Jason Murdock is a staff reporter for Newsweek. 

Based in London, Murdock previously covered cybersecurity for the International Business Times UK ... Read more

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