NYC college professor fired after confrontation with abortion opponents
May 23, 2023, 6:27 PM
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City college has fired an adjunct professor who was recorded on video berating abortion opponents on campus earlier this month and who on Tuesday reportedly threatened a journalist with a machete.
A Hunter College spokesperson confirmed art professor Shellyne Rodriguez was fired after the May 2 incident in which she is seen on video calling the abortion opponents’ information display “propaganda” and shoving some of the materials off the students’ table.
“Hunter College strongly condemns the unacceptable actions of Shellyne Rodriguez and has taken immediate action,” the spokesperson, Vince DiMiceli, told the New York Post on Tuesday. “Rodriguez has been relieved of her duties at Hunter College effective immediately, and will not be returning to teach at the school.”
Rodriguez and DiMiceli did not immediately return phone and email messages from The Associated Press on Tuesday evening.
The Post reported that one of its reporters went to Rodriguez’s apartment building in the Bronx and knocked on her door Tuesday morning to question her about the confrontation with the abortion opponents.
“Get … away from my door, or I’m gonna chop you up with this machete!” Rodriguez told the reporter as he stood outside her door, the Post reported.
Rodriguez came out and put a machete to his neck, then chased him down the street and kicked him in the shins, the newspaper reported.
City police said they were investigating Tuesday’s events.
A video of the May 2 confrontation with the students was posted on the Instagram page of Students For Life of America, a national group that opposes abortion.
In the video, Rodriguez uses profanities as she berates the students at their information display. She tells the people at the table that they are “triggering” her students.
“You’re not educating (expletive). This is (expletive) propaganda,” she tells them. “What are you going to do, like, anti-trans next?”
A male student responds, “I mean, no, we’re talking about abortion.”
Rodriguez then tells him he can’t understand because he can’t have a baby. Seconds later, she tells them to leave and shoves some of the materials off the table.
