UC Merced Students Want To Promote Prof Who Threatened Shapiro

In early December, University of California-Merced sociology lecturer Dr. Fernando Chirino ranted to students that Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro, an avowed and outspoken opponent of white supremacists, was an “a**hole white supremacist,” while boasting he would enjoy “ripping this fool’s shoulder out of his socket.” Chirino allowed he didn’t want to debate Shapiro, but would rather battle him in “some sort of an MMA [mixed martial arts] thing.”

Now students at the university have created a Twitter page called “Justice4Fernando,” quoting a petition that demands that the university promote Chirino to “Assistant Professor.” The page states, “We will not let our academic freedom be silenced or attacked. We are in solidarity with Professor Fernando. We demand justice,” while showing photos of students raising their fists and holding signs that read, “Academic Freedom” and “Say no to Ben Shapiro.”