IN THE NEWS: Prof says he was fired for anti-Hamas tweet

A professor claims he was terminated from Washington University in Missouri for his comments on social media supporting Israel’s actions against Hamas.

According to the New York Post, Seth Crosby, a geneticist with decades of service at the university’s school of medicine, posted that Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel were “a much needed cleansing, yes, but not an ethnic one,” adding “Israel is not targeting humans.” 

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Missouri characterized Crosby’s remarks as advocating for “ethnic cleansing,” despite the remarks themselves clearly asserting the opposite. “It is unconscionable that a professor at a Missouri institution of higher education would allegedly call for the ethnic cleansing of any population and would seek to dehumanize the target of that crime against humanity,” said Yasir Ali, CAIR-Missouri Board Chair.

Crosby later clarified that his comments were aimed at Hamas, not at Palestinians in general, and expressed regret for his “clumsy words.”

He announced on Saturday that he had been fired by the university, only to delete his social media account shortly thereafter.

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Washington University has not confirmed Crosby’s termination. A spokesperson stated that “The opinions he has expressed as an individual do not represent the university’s position,” adding that the university was “following up as appropriate, according to our policies and processes.”