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Fresno State professor Randa Jarrar won't be reprimanded for Barbara Bush 'racist' tweets

California State University's president said that after a careful review of the matter with the university's legal counsel, it was determined that English professor Randa Jarrar "did not violate any CSU or university policies."
Fresno State faculty photo of English Professor Randa Jarrar (Photo: Fresno State)

A California professor who made national headlines by calling former first lady Barbara Bush an "amazing racist" just after the former first lady's death will not be punished for her comments, her university's president announced Tuesday.

California State University, Fresno President Joseph I. Castro said that after a careful review and a discussion of the matter with the university's legal counsel, it was determined that English professor Randa Jarrar "did not violate any CSU or university policies."

"Professor Jarrar’s conduct was insensitive, inappropriate and an embarrassment to the university. I know her comments have angered many in our community and impacted our students," Castro said in a statement. "Her comments, although disgraceful, are protected free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."

Jarrar began her more than five-hour Twitter firestorm within an hour of the official announcement of Bush's death last week.

"Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who along with her husband, raised a war criminal," Jarrar wrote in the first tweet.

She went on to say she was "happy the witch is dead" and wished "the rest of her family to fall to their demise."

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As of Tuesday evening, a petition calling for Jarrar's "immediate termination" had more than 45,000 signatures from people across America.

But Jarrar is standing behind her remarks.

In an email to The Cut, an offshoot of New York Magazine, Jarrar discussed why she decided to share her opinions on Twitter.

"I felt compelled to speak up because I want people to remember history. I want people to know that our country’s actions don’t just disappear; they have real, negative consequences,” she said in the email. “If we want a better future, we have to confront our past.

"Our First Amendment rights must be protected, now, more than ever,” she said. "The university must remain a space for critical inquiry, even if it challenges what we believe."

Last week the university began a review of Jarrar, who was already on leave for the semester when the controversy began. University provost Lynette Zelenzy said at the time that there are "situations where a tenured faculty person can be fired."

Jarrar, whose position now appears secure, tweeted during the uproar, "I work as a tenured professor. I make 100K a year doing that. I will never be fired."

Castro said that "although Professor Jarrar used tenure to defend her behavior, this private action is an issue of free speech and not related to her job or tenure. Therefore, the university does not have justification to support taking any disciplinary action."

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