Thomas Brennan, a science professor at Ferris State University in Michigan, has been placed on administrative leave and is being investigated after denying the severity of the coronavirus and using racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic slurs on Twitter.
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The university's student-run newspaper, The Torch, was the first to report the incident. Screenshots taken by the paper show Brennan referring to COVID-19 as a "stunt" and "another Jewish revolution."
Following the newspaper's report, Brennan said in a statement that he is not racist, anti-Semitic, or a science denier. He justified his use of racist slurs as an attempt to "neutralize its power."
"I believe the 'N-word' is a mind-control spell designed to make us hate each other," Brennan tweeted. "I reject the premise that there are certain magic words that should never be used in any context or by certain people." He said he used the word as a synonym for "human being" or "person" in the context of the tweet.
Brennan also stated that the media and government have exaggerated the coronavirus pandemic, but he acknowledged that the virus is not a hoax and that it has killed many people.
"Individually and collectively, we were shocked and outraged by these tweets," said university president David Eisler.
"They are extremely offensive and run counter to the values of our University and our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Brennan's Twitter account is no longer public, and his tweets are only available to approved followers.
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