12:30pm – The University of Kansas has placed David. W. Guth, a journalism professor, on leave because of a tweet he wrote this week after the Navy Yard shooting.
David W. Guth tweeted “blood is on the hands of the #NRA. Next time, let it be YOUR sons and daughters” after Monday’s shooting in Washington, D.C., in which 13 people died, including the gunman.
The university said today that Guth, an associate professor of journalism, was placed on indefinite administrative leave pending a review.
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little says the action was taken to prevent disruptions in the learning environment for students, the journalism school and the university.
Original story: Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce (R-Hutchinson) released the following statement calling for the resignation of University of Kansas Professor David Guth over
comments on Twitter over the Navy yard shooting in Washington.
“After reviewing the comments made via Twitter by Professor David Guth regarding the recent shooting at the Washington Naval Yard, I am appalled by the lack of compassion for human suffering. I feel I have no choice but to call upon the University of Kansas and Chancellor Grey-Little to remove Professor Guth from the University’s faculty immediately. Wishing death and damnation upon parents and their children is reprehensible and is not befitting of an employee of such a distinguished university.
While the removal of a university faculty member is indeed rare, the University of Kansas has taken such action in the past when the integrity of the establishment is in question. In December of 2005, then-Chancellor Robert Hemingway removed then-Professor Paul Mirecki, Chair of the School of Religion, for inappropriate comments made on an online message board. In light of the recent tragedy that befell our nation, the comments of Professor Guth reflect as poorly, if not more so, upon the University of Kansas as the comments made by Professor Mirecki.”
Professor Guth, after the events of Monday’s shooting unfolded, took to twitter to state that 