A conservative campus group is calling on Michigan State University to conduct a disciplinary review of a professor who openly criticized those who voted for President-elect Donald Trump.
Behavioral neuroscience professor Alexa Veenema wrote to students after the election that it was "unbelievable" that "so many Americans are so utterly naïve and would fall for this and support misogyny, racism, xenophobia, hate and violence."
"You must be as devastated as I am," Veenema wrote in an email to students, according to screenshots shared on social media and verified by a university spokesperson. "And probably feel an overwhelming grief."
Veenema encouraged students to support each other and share their feelings with others. She added that anyone who showed up to her lecture that day would get free bonus points on an in-class activity.
"It might be that today’s lecture will be shorter, and I understand that you are not in a state of mind to learn anything," Veenema wrote.
The message violated university policies regarding professionalism and speech, the MSU chapter of Turning Point USA argued.
Alex Bitzan, the group’s president, wrote in a press release that Veenema failed to treat students with "civility and respect," improperly spoke on a subject that didn’t relate to her course and compromised MSU’s grading system by offering bonus points.
The group is calling for "an immediate disciplinary review of her actions."
MSU spokesperson Emily Guerrant said the provost’s office has spoken to Veenema and the leadership of her college about the faculty code of ethics, but Guerrant has "not heard anything" about further discipline.
Veenema did not respond to requests for comment.
MSU faculty have had difficulty addressing an election that has distressed some students without ostracizing those who feel differently, sometimes coming into conflict with the university.
"Faculty should be able to express how they feel about a situation, absolutely, but they shouldn't do it in a way that … makes students feel like they can't share their views," Guerrant told The State News earlier this month.
After a professor in the College of Arts and Letters canceled class to "grieve" the election results, a university administrator told deans and other top faculty that they are responsible for holding class regularly and that they don’t need to share their views on the election when canceling class.
Bitzan told The State News that Turning Point USA tries to encourage open dialogue on controversial political issues.
"When people in a position of power, like professors, are really being somewhat insulting in the way that they express themselves, it’s detrimental to that effort," Bitzan said.
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