U.S. professor voicing anti-Trump comments goes into hiding over death threats
Xinhua, December 15, 2016 Adjust font size:
A college professor who had voiced anti-Trump comments in the state of California was forced into hiding after receiving death threats, according to local media reports.
Olga Perez Stable Cox, who teaches human sexuality at the Orange Coast College (OCC) in Costa Mesa, fled the state after a video of her rant was posted Monday by the school's Republican Club on its Facebook, where it drew national media attention and caused her trouble, Orange County Register reported.
In the roughly two-minute-long video secretly filmed by one of her students, the psychology professor told her class: "We are in for a difficult time. But again, I do believe that we can get past that. Our nation is divided; we have been assaulted, it's an act of terrorism."
The video clip prompted outrage and threats to her life.
In total, more than 1,000 emails and threatening phone calls were directed at Cox, OCC and her union, local media reported.
"Someone emailed her a picture of her house, with her address," said Rob Schneiderman, president of the Coast Federation of Educators/American Federation of Teachers Local 1911, adding that some threatened her livelihood, others her life.
News of threats against the professor came to light this week, as hundreds of people held demonstrations on campus in support of and against her.
Photos from the scene showed that members of the OCC Republican Club turned out Monday to march against Cox's comments, shouting "Teach. Don't preach."
On the same day, students and faculty members supportive of Cox also rallied, holding signs reading, "Support faculty rights" and "Free speech." Endi