An adjunct college professor at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts was fired after he posted a message on Facebook urging Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to list 52 American cultural sites he would bomb after President Trump had stated the Trump administration had targeted 52 Iranian sites if Iran targeted Americans.
Trump had tweeted last Saturday, “Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian site (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago). Some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets. and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!”
As The New York Post reported, on Tuesday, Asheen Phansey, the director of sustainability at Babson College, responded in the following way: “In retaliation, Ayatollah Khomenei [sic] should tweet a list of 52 sites of beloved American cultural heritage that he would bomb. Um… Mall of America? Kardashian residence?”
The website Turtleboysports.com posted a screenshot of Phansey’s message.
Babson College released a statement Wednesday morning saying, “Babson College condemns any type of threatening words and/or actions condoning violence and/or hate. This particular post from a staff member on his personal Facebook page clearly does not represent the values and culture of Babson College. While we understand he has deleted the posts, we have immediately suspended him, with pay, pending the completion of our investigation. In addition, we are cooperating with local, state and federal authorities.”
On Thursday, Babson College released a further statement that read:
Babson College conducted a prompt and thorough investigation related to a post shared on a staff member’s personal Facebook page that does not represent the values and culture of the College. Based on the results of the investigation, the staff member is no longer a Babson College employee. As we have previously stated, Babson College condemns any type of threatening words and/or actions condoning violence and/or hate.
Phansey emailed the Boston Herald, “I regret my bad attempt at humor. As an American, born and raised, I was trying to juxtapose our ‘cultural sites’ with ancient Iranian churches and mosques. I am completely opposed to violence and would never advocate it by anyone. I am sorry that my sloppy humor was read as a threat. I condemn all acts of violence. I am particularly sorry to cause any harm or alarm for my colleagues at Babson, my beloved alma mater, and the place where I have enjoyed teaching students and serving as its sustainability director.”
The Daily Beast reported that Adam Steinbaugh, director of the the advocacy group FIRE’s Individual Rights Defense Program, defended Phansey on Thursday before Phansey was fired, asserting that Phansey’s post was “core political speech, protected under any principled understanding of freedom of expression,” adding, “while Babson College is a private institution not bound by the First Amendment, it has committed itself to principles of academic freedom and freedom of expression … Babson has betrayed those principles.”
Steinbaugh later added, “Babson College has terminated an adjunct professor for a personal Facebook post criticizing the President of the United States. The professor’s post is obvious rhetorical hyperbole and cannot reasonably be read as a threat, incitement, or even a sincere endorsement of violence. Babson’s process-free termination of the professor in an attempt to quell criticism on social media is censorship, plain and simple, and reveals Babson’s stated commitment to freedom of expression to be worthless.”