Holocaust-Denying Tenured Professor Calls Cosby Accusers 'Sluts'

Siddique is an outspoken critic of police brutality, but his argument concerning Sandra Bland loses grip a bit at the end:

First they kill Black men and women, and then claim it was their own fault. The authorities can always find something in a person’s background. Now they say she was DEPRESSED a YEAR BACK, therefore she committed suicide. Hitler never treated Black people like this. Israel’s system has been imposed on America.

His radical beliefs extend to religion. Professor Siddique belongs to a Baltimore-based Muslim group called Jamaat al-Muslimeen, and “Although JaM explicitly discourages acts of violence by Muslims in the United States,” a report from The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point wrote, “it advances a number of ideological points closely linked to violent radicalism, while excusing virtually all Muslims convicted of terrorism as victims of government persecution.”

“I need evidence that anything was done to Yazidis,” he told The Daily Beast, expressing skepticism that the Islamic State has committed the violent acts it expressly advertises. “If they’re doing terrible things to women, what women in their right mind would go to join them? All these women who are joining them, are they total idiots? Or zombies?”

The Daily Beast points out that Siddique, quite ironically, teaches English 101 and 102 classes, meant to teach students about “forming coherent arguments.” He also teaches a journalism class, which spends a week focusing on “feature writing on sensitive (race/gender/class) issues.” According to the article, there’s a significant disconnect between the professor’s social media persona and the much more moderate way he speaks in person, implying that these beliefs have not necessarily found their way into the classroom.

A university spokesperson emailed The Daily Beast:

“His latest activities, like his earlier writings, statements and activities, are an insult to women and other groups singled out. Dr. Siddique’s statements and assertions are his own, and they in no way represent the views of Lincoln University, its administration, faculty or students.

Like all faculty members, he is entitled to express his personal views in conversation or in public forums, as long as he does not present such opinions as views of the University.”

This particular brand of protected crazy comes at an interesting time in the academic community, amidst a troubling trend of censorship in which free speech—and indeed, the job security of professors themselves—has been significantly eroded to protect the endless emotional needs of a hyper-sensitive mob.

That said, professors are both public representatives of their academic culture and private role models to a significant body of young minds, and they do have a marginal responsibility to display at least somewhat considered and respectful opinions on their damn Facebook pages.

From the looks of it, this appears to be a situation in which a professor really shouldn’t be teaching anyone, anywhere.

Image via Lincoln University.