U. Tampa Prof Fired for Calling Hurricane ‘Karma’ Over Texas Support for Republicans
“I deeply regret a statement I posted yesterday.”
I’ve lost track of how many professors have been fired over the last six months for saying something dumb like this. It’s an epidemic.
The Orlando Sentinel reports:
Winter Park-based Tampa professor fired after Hurricane Harvey ‘karma’ tweet
visiting assistant professor at the University of Tampa was fired Tuesday after describing the destruction from Hurricane Harvey as “instant karma” for Texans who voted Republican last year, the school said.
Kenneth Storey, whose LinkedIn profile says he lives in Winter Park and who also teaches at Hillsborough Community College, ignited online outrage Sunday, amid reports of the destruction in Houston.
“I dont believe in instant karma but this kinda feels like it for Texas. Hopefully this will help them realize the GOP doesnt care about them,” Storey posted to Twitter, according to screen captures by other Twitter users and conservative websites.
Storey has since deleted the tweet and responses defending it to other users.
According to TampaBay.com, he said he was “only blaming those who support the GOP,” though “the good people there need to do more to stop the evil their state pushes.”
On Monday night, an apology was posted to the account: “I deeply regret a statement I posted yesterday. I never meant to wish ill will upon any group. I hope all affected by Harvey recover quickly.”
Storey, a University of Central Florida graduate who teaches sociology, did not respond to a reporter’s direct message seeking further comment Tuesday.
The University of Tampa on Monday night posted a statement on Facebook condemning Storey’s comments and “the sentiment behind them,” but noted they were posted to a private account and “not made within his capacity as a faculty member.”
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Comments
“I’ve lost track of how many professors have been fired over the last six months for saying something dumb like this. It’s an epidemic.”
I call it self-selection out of the teaching pool, and a good start. Here is hoping that more open their mouths publicly to say the stupid things they say privately.
“Hurricane Karma” … now that’s a good name.
Beats “Hurricane Harvey” all to hell, for sure.
Maybe the hurricane was shaped like a rabbit in the radar imagining, therefore, Harvey.
As for the esteemed professor’s regrets: he regrets he overstepped a boundary, not for what he said..
When will these SJWs learn that they absolutely have a freedom to speak whatever they want, but that does not absolve them of the consequences for what they say. Freedom of speech does not, contrary to the Left’s belief when it involves themselves, mean freedom of consequence.
Free speech for everyone, even those utterly bereft of decency and honor. One hopes that his peers, neighbors, students, et al will properly shun him forevermore.