Daniel Ravicher, a law professor at the University of Miami, is at odds with the school over his employment status. According to Ravicher, he has lost his teaching position because of opinions he shared on Twitter. Ravicher explains via a Twitter update, "I've been fired because I refuse to censor my speech and apologize, in addition to satisfying other yet to be defined requirements. The only uncertainty is when my last day will be, either the end of my contract or sooner if the school can fabricate a performance related reason."
Miami University Dean Anthony E. Varona has since responded with the following statement, "Professor Daniel Ravicher, a lecturer at the School of Law, has not been terminated, nor has he been removed from his course. We are not sure why he is saying or suggesting otherwise."
The controversy comes after a string of politically charged and racially insensitive tweets fired off by Ravicher. The most recent tweets deal with the 2020 presidential election in which Ravicher expresses his frustration and hints at suspected voter fraud. Like many in this election, Ravicher, a conservative, has used his personal social media to support President Trump and denounce his loss in this year's election.
In one tweet, Ravicher shares, "Cheating in politics is as American as apple pie. If you're good enough to get away with it, you deserve to win. That's how it always been and how it always will be."
In other tweets, Ravicher shares his thoughts on minority groups. In one tweet that many in the student body and faculty deemed insensitive, Ravicher states that "Blacks allow themselves to be taken for granted and treated horribly by Democrats." He goes on to add, "Latinos are clearly now the most politically important minority group in America" and that "blacks have 50% more abortions than Latinos."
Miami University Student and Faculty Response
Ravicher posted the tweets that have since landed him in hot water on a personal Twitter account and appears to be speaking as a private citizen. He never discloses himself as a university law professor in the tweets. That didn't stop the content of his tweets to stir outrage in students and faculty members of the University, especially black students and those of minority backgrounds.
Students at the school shared that they felt the professor's tweets were racist, radical, and dangerous. A junior at the University, Raven Bedford, shared with the school student newsletter that the professor's tweets had both racist and violent undertones.
Another student, Christian Pasciak, a third-year law student, explains, "We cannot seek to silence everyone just because we disagree with them. That said, our professors are leaders who set the standard for our students." Pasciak, who is a member of the Student Bar Association, is working with other members in the group to send a letter to Dean Varona about Ravicher's insensitive remarks. Pasciak is one of seven other students who have formally written to Varona about their concerns regarding the professor's tweets.
Ravicher is sticking to his views, explaining to the student newsletter that he will not apologize for his opinions. He vehemently expresses, "If someone would like to identify a fact they allege I've asserted is not accurate, I'll review any contradictory evidence. If someone doesn't like my opinion, that's their right, but mine is unlikely to change."
While the school insists the professor still has a position at the school, it is not certain whether or not a boundary has been crossed between the professor and his association with the University.
