California university won't punish professor who jeered Barbara Bush

Yahoo! ^ | 04/25/18 | AP

[Simon Green]

A California State University, Fresno professor who called Barbara Bush "an amazing racist" and cheered her death will not be punished, the president of the university announced Tuesday.

Randa Jarrar was acting as a private citizen using her personal Twitter account so her remarks didn't violate any California State University or campus policies, Fresno State President Joseph Castro wrote in announcing the results of a review.

"Her comments, although disgraceful, are protected free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution," Castro wrote. "Our duty as Americans and educators is to promote a free exchange of diverse views, even if we disagree with them."

Jarrar has been on leave this semester and couldn't immediately be reached for comment. An email to her university address was not immediately returned.

The English professor provoked a storm of criticism last week with her tweets following the death of the former first lady.

"Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal," Jarrar wrote.

Jarrar also commented that she was "happy the witch is dead."

A Change.org petition to have her fired had garnered 50,000 online signatures as of Tuesday evening.

In response to critics, Jarrar said she was a tenured professor who could not be fired but Castro said the issue wasn't related to her job or tenure.

However, he also condemned her remarks.

"Professor Jarrar's conduct was insensitive, inappropriate and an embarrassment to the university," Castro wrote, adding: "On campus and whenever we are representing the university, I expect all of us to engage in respectful dialogue."

Jarrar grew up in Kuwait and Egypt and moved to the United States after the Gulf War, according to her university faculty page.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

I’m fine with the university not punishing her. If Cal State wants to be a nasty liberal cesspool, so be it. Although I do feel sorry for the taxpayers in California who don’t want to pay for it.

[Gamecock]

Randa Jarrar was acting as a private citizen using her personal Twitter account so her remarks didn't violate any California State University or campus policies,

Until she hid behind her tenure status on Twitter, that outed her.

Cowards

[Mat_Helm]

Stop donating any money to the University or any of its programs until this disgrace to CSUF is fired.

[Red Badger]

Jarrar grew up in Kuwait and Egypt and moved to the United States after the Gulf War, according to her university faculty page.

Is she a citizen?.......................if not, DEPORT HER SORRY ASS!........................

[Kartographer]

She did no worse than more than few FReeppers did right here on FR.

[Victor]

Jabba the Her

[jmaroneps37]

This IS California we are talking about here, right? Was there ever any doubt that this would end this way? The school will make her a Dean for this.

[NTHockey]

Did anybody expect anything else? Had it been anybody saying anything against the half breed, they would have been drawn and quartered.

[struggle]

Her existence is punishment enough.

[Rummyfan]

Fresno State has given us Trent Dilfer, the Carr brothers, Victor Davis Hanson and this ugly mean human being. Four out of five ain’t bad.

[antidemoncrat]

So if what she said is free speech, let me exercise mine:
Hey Capt. Ahab...we found your whale!

[wally_bert]

Resembles a former phb-ette a lot.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Her comments, although disgraceful, are protected free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution"

I can't stand the ignorance that continually goes on concerning the first amendment. This was never a first amendment issue. The first amendment has to do with the government censuring people of their free speech rights. It has nothing to do with businesses censuring your free speech. It goes on all the time. How many times have people said things on their social media accounts and been fired for it because they brought disgrace and bad media upon the company they work for?

I wonder how all of these "free speech" advocates would have reacted if she had tweeted about Michelle Obama's fat a$$... oh, I guess this particular professor could not comment on that since hers is larger...

[Old Retired Army Guy]

So, what happens if nobody signs up for her classes? Do they still pay her for teaching an empty room? This Tenure thing is a huge joke on the taxpayers. She should be judged like anybody in Private Industry on Performance and Behavior.

[I want the USA back]

The fat ugly-a$$ biytch got away with her hate. It will be promoted and get a high paying job compliments of dems.

[jalisco555]

This is a good thing. If she was punished it would mean carte blanche on any conservative speech on any campus in the country. Let her keep talking, it only helps our cause.

[rjsimmon]

The first amendment has to do with the government censuring people of their free speech rights. It has nothing to do with businesses censuring your free speech.

Concur. The same is true for those who continue to claim that the NFL "Kneelers" are exercising their 1st Amendment rights. They are employees and do not have the right to disregard the rules of their employers.

[SMARTY]

Let the alumni and board of trustees work it out. I’d like to see what happens to their ‘funding’ after this.

[Bayan]

I agree with the principle being applied, it’s unfortunate that they don’t apply it to comments about their protected leftist ideologies and classes. If it was a conservative comment she’d have been fired within 24 hours.