A UC Davis professor appeared to threaten “Zionist journalists” in an October 10 social media post.
Screenshots of the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows a Twitter account purportedly belonging to UC Davis Assistant Professor of American Studies Jemma Decristo stating: “One group of [people] we have easy access to in the US is all these zionist journalists who spread propaganda & misinformation they have houses [with] address, kids in school they can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more.” The post then featured emojis of a knife, axe, and blood drops.
Another post on X that is apparently from Decristo include a post stating “HELL YEAH” in response protesters in Jordan setting fire to the Israeli embassy.
Hi. Is this you, @jemmaisOKeh? https://t.co/6M3QlmxFhX pic.twitter.com/uEVNWx8vez
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 18, 2023
As The Forward has noted, Decristo’s UC Davis page appears to have been taken down. Decristo’s purported X account has also been moved to a private setting.
Ok. Definitely not promising. pic.twitter.com/k7DJUEDwgu
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 18, 2023
University Chancellor Gary May issued a statement on Thursday denouncing Decristo’s posts. “I find the comments revolting in every way, and I disagree wholeheartedly with them,” he said. “UC Davis rejects all forms of violence and discrimination, as they are antithetical to the values of our university. We strive to foster a climate of equity and justice built on mutual understanding and respect for all members of the community.” May acknowledged questions as to why Decristo is still employed by the university. “The University of California system has specific procedures for the review of complaints of faculty misconduct consistent with universitywide policies and bylaws,” he explained. “The status of complaints lodged against faculty members are confidential personnel matters, so we are unable to publicly comment on the steps we are taking.
“The public expression of opinions, even those opinions considered controversial or abhorrent, enjoy a high level of protection under the First Amendment,” May continued. “We are carefully reviewing this matter to ensure our response is consistent with universitywide policy and state and federal constitutional protections.”
Hillel at Davis and Sacramento also condemned Decristo’s posts, calling them “violent and hate-filled.” “The idea that anyone on our campus would threaten violence is frightening enough,” they wrote in a statement posted to social media. “That the threats were directed toward the Jewish community — including targeting Jewish ‘kids in school’ — just two weeks after the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust is horrifying. Jewish students and faculty members on our campus were already experiencing fear and grief in the wake of the slaughter by Hamas of more than 1,300 men, women, children, and babies in Israel on October 7. That a member of the UC Davis community in a position of authority would threaten violence against the Jewish community less than two weeks later only serves to surface that trauma again, and compound it.”
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Jewish Federation of Sacramento President Barry Broad told ABC10 Sacramento, “Emotions are running high. We understand that. We can’t live in a civilized society where threats of violence are acceptable and there are no consequences for making that.”
StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder Roz Rothstein, Saidoff Legal Department Yael Lerman and Center for Combating Antisemitism Director Carly Gammill wrote in a Thursday letter to UC Davis that they were “deeply concerned” by Decristo’s post, arguing that it “pointedly singles out Israelis and Jews, both protected nationality and ethnic groups on your campus and calls for physical violence against them.”
They also expressed concern over UC Davis political science lecturer McCage Griffiths, who they allege failed to correct students who “shared patently false information and loudly used language that dehumanized Israeli civilians killed by Hamas” during a discussion on the current Israel-Hamas war. Rothstein, Lerman and Gammill also alleged that Griffiths “refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization, substituting terms like ‘resistance,’ ‘freedom fighters,’ or ‘commandos’ and disproportionately allowed anti-Israel statement more time and fewer interruptions than statements against Hamas, making Jewish and Israeli students feel excluded and unsafe.” He also allegedly argued that terrorism is “ambiguous.” All this resulted in McGriffiths fostering “a hostile learning environment for Jewish and Israeli students,” Rothstein, Lerman and Gammill allege.
Griffiths disputed the allegations in the letter, telling the Journal in an email: “The letter offers a distorted picture of myself and of the discussion that took place in my classroom. Any course on US foreign policy necessarily must address complex and controversial topics, including terrorism and counter-terror policy. Our conversation recognized the October 7 attacks immediately as acts of terrorism committed by Hamas – and spent additional time analyzing the motivations, ideologies, and media coverage surrounding Hamas and other organizations with similar beliefs, including Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, etc. Consistent with UC Davis’ principles, I am committed to creating a deep understanding of issues through the free, open, and civil exchange of ideas and to maintaining a climate of equity and justice demonstrated by respect for one another.”
Rothstein, Lerman and Gammill concluded their letter by urging the university to investigate Decristo and Griffiths and take requisite action.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan responded to StandWithUs by saying: “When we receive a complaint that a faculty member has engaged in conduct that may violate the Faculty Code of Conduct, we review the matter in accordance with our established policies and procedures for handling faculty discipline. These processes are confidential personnel matters that we are not permitted to share with the public. I can confirm I will refer this matter to the appropriate campus departments that investigate harassment, discrimination, and faculty conduct, in consultation with legal counsel regarding First Amendment rights.” She added: “UC Davis rejects all forms of violence and discrimination, as they are antithetical to the values of our university. We strive to foster a climate of equity and justice built on mutual understanding and respect for all members of the community. We appreciate your support for our Principles of Community, and I assure you that your concerns have been heard.”
The Journal’s request for comment through the university email address listed in a screenshot of Decristo’s university bio was not returned.
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