STAFF REPORT | Student Media
UTRGV is investigating an incident regarding a political science lecturer who allegedly made controversial comments toward students in his U.S. public policy class earlier this week, a university official said.
Screenshots from political science Lecturer Michael DeLor’s alleged Twitter account, @SafelyAnnonym, also circulated on social media, prompting students to raise their concerns.
“We have not, I have not confirmed that those comments or that social media page belongs to the professor,” said Patrick Gonzales, associate vice president for University Marketing and Communications. “One thing I would like to say is that if these, if this truly is the Twitter page of this professor, his opinions in no way represent the opinions of UTRGV and, you know, that’s one thing I wanted to make [clear right now].”
The class incident was recorded and shared on social media on Thursday.
“If you don’t like public policy in this kind of a system, then drop the class,” DeLor said in the video. “If you think communism is great, move to Venezuela, move to Cuba, move to North Korea. They have that kind of system there you’re looking for where you’ll be starved to death and shot. Don’t make dumb comments.”
DeLor’s alleged Twitter account contains replies to tweets that several students found concerning. Some of the screenshots show the alleged Twitter account stating, “Liberal women are ugly, mean, and most of them smell,” and “Democrats support pedophilia. They are sick bastards who need serious psychiatric help.”
Student Media contacted DeLor regarding the incident, but he declined to comment and directed the reporter to “his boss.”
Student Media contacted Clyde Barrow, the UTRGV Political Science department chair, who referred the reporter to Gonzales for media inquiries regarding the situation.
An online petition calling for the firing of DeLor was created shortly after the incident.
Gonzales said the university has no response to the petition at the moment, but is aware of the situation.
As of 2:31 p.m. Friday, the petition garnered over 800 signatures.
Gonzales said the classroom incident was referred to the UTRGV Student Rights and Responsibilities office since it was a situation involving students.
The university released an official statement on social media regarding the incident earlier today, where it states it is aware of the complaints towards DeLor’s remarks in class and on his alleged Twitter account.
“UTRGV remains committed to promoting access, diversity and inclusion to ensure all members of our campus community can learn, work and succeed in a safe and respectful environment free from discrimination,” the statement reads. “At the same time, UTRGV recognizes the right of all our students, faculty and staff to express personal opinions as private citizens, so long as it is clear such opinions are not those of the institution.”
Political science senior Leo Moody-Garza said he was in the Zoom lecture when DeLor made the alleged comments.
Garza said the topic of the lecture was about federalism, but DeLor “kept switching” to other topics, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and defunding the police. He added that he and other students attempted to refute and offer context to those subjects.
“This type of discourse was not unusual for his class, a sign of the times I suppose,” Garza said. “However, the level of blatant propaganda he was pushing that day was more than usual.”
Diego Zarate-Alvizo, an art junior, said DeLor did nothing wrong.
Zarate-Alvizo said it is inappropriate of students to be “exposing” the lecturer’s personal life and beliefs on social media.
“That is how I found out about the situation,” he said. “This being posted on both platforms is only facilitating misinformation.”
Zarate-Alvizo also commented on DeLor’s alleged tweets.
“These tweets that he made are absolutely disgusting, horrible and shocking,” he said. “But, again, this is his personal life. He has the right to be able to have these views.”
The art student hopes that the university investigates this incident in “an unbiased manner.”
Gonzales said UTRGV encourages students to report any discrimination through Vaqueros Report It or the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity.
To submit a concern via Vaqueros Report It, click here.
–Alejandra Yañez, Victor G. Ramirez, Steven Hughes, Michael Gonzalez and Victoria Cantu compiled this report
