In a week of chaos at the University of Missouri, a popular professor has resigned over criticism that he would not cancel classes after rumors of “threats” to students swept through the campus. The only way bullies are deflated is by standing up to them.
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Bradley Harrison Smith, a graduate instructor in the Mizzou English department, wrote a letter to his students on Tuesday announcing that he would not hold class as scheduled.
Christian Basi, a University spokesperson, said in an e-mail that Brigham is still employed at the university and would not comment on the status of his resignation offer.
Brigham later sent a follow-up message to Rashad Hall, one of the students, telling him: “I will be the first one to eat a bullet for my students (and rightly so) if violence erupts in my classroom”.
Brigham’s response upset many students.
“I didn’t feel comfortable or safe on campus”, she said. You make your own choice, ” the professor wrote.
Tuesday’s controversial email to his Nutritional Science 1034 class said: “If you don’t feel safe coming to class, then don’t come to class. I will be there, and there will be an exam administered in our class”.
But events have continued to move rapidly, and after enduring a deluge of hostile emails, Brigham announced Wednesday afteroon he was canceling the exam entirely and quitting his job.
“Students can come to class and take the exam tomorrow if they wish”.
“Effective November 11, 2015, Janna Basler has been placed on administrative leave and relieved of her duties as Director of Greek Life while we conduct an investigation regarding her recent actions”, Mark Lucas, the university’s director of student life, said in a statement. The suspect is believed to have posted threats to “shoot every black person I see” on Yik Yak, an anonymous location-based messaging app, and other social media.
Brigham confirmed to local NBC affiliate KOMU Wednesday that he’d submitted his resignation, though he was waiting for his bosses to accept it. “If my leaders think that my leaving would help, I am all for it”. The president of the MU system, Tim Wolfe, stepped down on Monday amid the protests.
T.J. Moe, a former Missouri football player, took to Twitter to express anger about Brigham’s resignation offer.
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri responded with a statement calling for the university to not compromise the right to free expression in its efforts to fight racism.
