Petition seeks firing of Antifa prof for 'dead cops' tweets
A student at John Jay College has created a petition urging the public college to fire the Antifa-supporting professor who made controversial remarks about “dead cops.”
Professor Michael Isaacson “does not represent what John Jay College expects of not only its students, but also its faculty members,” the online petition states. “He has continuously favored the notion that ‘dead cops’ would make the country a better place. This is his way of guiding his students when considering how they make life decisions.”
Last week, an August tweet from Isaacson’s Twitter account began circulating around the internet, in which Isaacson wrote, “Some of ya’ll might think it sucks being an anti-fascist teaching at John Jay College but I think it’s a privilege to teach future dead cops.”
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Isaacson is an economics professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a self-described member of the violent anti-fascist movement commonly known as Antifa.
In an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight last week, Isaacson claimed that “cops are not working for the vast majority of society.”
According to The New York Post, Isaacson was placed on paid administrative leave after his tweets began circulating across the internet.
“I am appalled that anyone associated with John Jay, with our proud history of supporting law enforcement authorities, would suggest that violence against police is ever acceptable,” said Karon Mason, the president of the college.
New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio chimed in as well on Twitter, saying that “New York City won't stand for the vile anti-police rhetoric of Michael Isaacson and neither should John Jay College.”
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Jose Rodriguez, a sophomore at John Jay College, says he launched the petition because it is shocking that the current administration would neglect their students and find it in themselves to ignore the ones that they were hired to serve.
“A man with dangerous thoughts and intentions is being financially supported by a school whose theme is Justice,” Rodriguez told Campus Reform. “If justice means endorsing acts of violence in order to push an agenda and destroy lives in the process, I seriously wonder where the hearts and minds of the administration lie.”
“Mike Isaacson carries a hate-filled heart and I feel sorry for him,” Fred Nezami, also a sophomore at John Jay College, told Campus Reform.
Nezami claims he was disappointed about the tweets by Isaacson, but was determined to investigate their authenticity. Upon exploring Isaacson's Twitter, he not only confirmed that the tweets in question were real, but also discovered other tweets that he took issue with, such as tweets joking about executing his students.
“A professor who has expressed ill-will towards many of his own students for choosing a respected career should not be in a position to teach them,” Nezami said. "John Jay College is centered around educating future members of law enforcement, and is no place for a professor who has espoused hatred towards them. John Jay should not delay in firing Mike Isaacson.”
As of press time, the petition had collected 76 signatures, with a tentative goal of 500.
UPDATE: A spokesperson for John Jay provided an updated statement to Campus Reform that strongly suggests the college is pursuing further "disciplinary actions" against Isaacson, possibly including termination.
"As indicated in the statement from President Mason last Friday, the College is reviewing the status of the adjunct faculty," the statement asserted. "The disciplinary process is governed by the City University of New York’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which establishes grounds for disciplinary actions by the College. Under the Disciplinary Provisions of the CBA, adjuncts are subject to discharge for just cause but have grievance rights under the Grievance Provisions of the CBA. The College is following due process to resolve the situation."
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