In a recent development, Shellyne Rodriguez, a 47-year-old professor in New York City, has been fired from her position at Cooper Union after a series of controversies involving anti-Israel statements and a disturbing incident with a reporter.
The termination came just days after Rodriguez, caught on camera holding a machete to a reporter’s neck, pleaded guilty to harassment and menacing, receiving a 13-month sentence for behavioral therapy in October.
In an email shared on January 23, Rodriguez revealed, “Cooper Union has fired me because of a social media post I made about ‘Zionists.'” The email was subsequently posted on Instagram by the Cooper Union Students for Justice in Palestine.
Rodriguez, who is no longer listed as an adjunct on Cooper Union’s faculty page, claimed in her Instagram post that her firing was related to her “public comments about ‘Zionists.'” The exact posts or comments leading to her termination remain unclear.
Critics had previously accused Rodriguez of making antisemitic remarks during a CUNY for Palestine panel. She further ignited controversy by posting a flyer on Instagram, depicting a pro-Israel event as covered with cockroaches and denouncing former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr as a “Zionist lapdog.”
While the pro-Palestinian student group condemned Rodriguez’s firing as “an intense escalation of repression,” some welcomed the news, especially those who deemed her comments as “despicable.” Jeffrey Lax, a CUNY law professor and co-founder of Students and Faculty for Equality at CUNY, expressed relief on behalf of Jewish students at Cooper Union, stating, “Her comments were despicable.”
The controversy surrounding Rodriguez dates back to May of the previous year when, as an adjunct professor at Hunter College, she was recorded using profanity while expressing displeasure at students organizing a pro-life table. The incident, shared online by Students for Life of America, showcased Rodriguez’s critique of what she deemed as “propaganda.”
The disturbing episode continued when a New York Post reporter visited Rodriguez for comments, and she was seen holding a blade to the reporter’s neck. This incident led to her guilty plea, sentencing, and subsequent termination from Cooper Union.
As the academic community grapples with the aftermath of Rodriguez’s termination, questions arise about the boundaries of free speech and the impact of social media posts on professional life, emphasizing the ongoing challenges universities face in managing controversies involving their faculty members.
Sources By Agencies