LIBERAL JERK: U. Oregon administrator on leave after wishing Trump voters would ‘f***ing’ kill themselves
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‘Statements made in the video [are] abhorrent and not in alignment with our values or mission,’ university states
A University of Oregon administrator has been placed on leave after expressing “hope” that Donald Trump supporters would “go jump off a f***ing bridge” in a now-deleted video posted to his Instagram account.
“The University of Oregon finds the statements made in the video abhorrent and not in alignment with our values or mission,” spokesperson Angela Seydel told The College Fix in an email Thursday. “This individual has been placed on administrative leave.”
Copies of the video by Leonard Serrato (pictured), assistant director of fraternity and sorority life at the public university, can still be watched on the Old Row account on X and at The Daily Emerald, the university’s student newspaper.
Seydel said the university asked Serrato to take down the video, which he did; it also opened an investigation into the matter.
“As a public university we take our duty seriously to provide an environment that welcomes diversity of thought and respect in alignment with our education mission. While we investigate, we are providing support for concerned students and employees, including resources for mental and emotional health,” she told The Fix.
The Daily Emerald reports the video came from Serrato’s Instagram account, which appeared to have been deleted late Thursday morning.
In the video, Serrato expressed his anger after learning that Trump, a Republican, had won the presidential election.
“My anger has set in,” he said. “I am a very petty person, and I am very proud of that – love it about myself actually.”
“And so I say this in the most disrespectful way possible. I don’t care if you are my family, I don’t care if you’re my friend. … You can literally go f*** yourself if you voted for Donald Trump.”
Serrato said Americans who are upset about higher grocery prices should “get a better f***ing paying job” and a better education.
“Do something because you’re fing stupid, and I hope you go jump off a fing bridge,” he said.
In a second video on Instagram, Serrato encouraged students who are upset by the election, including those of “color” and “LGBTQIA,” to “take care of yourself and know that you have my support,” according to the student newspaper.
Serrato did not respond to emails or a phone message Thursday from The Fix asking about the video.
Aaron Terr, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told The Fix that Serrato’s remarks do appear to be protected speech – “even if they deeply offend others.”
The only issue would be if “the university can show it is so disruptive to its operations or so impairs Serrato’s ability to do his job that this outweighs his strong interest in speaking on matters of public importance,” Terr said in a Thursday email.
“The First Amendment provides strong protection to public employees when, like Serrato, they speak in their personal capacity on issues of public concern,” he told The Fix.
“Serrato’s speech doesn’t constitute a true threat or incitement because he wasn’t expressing a serious intent to physically harm anyone, and the speech isn’t likely to immediately result in unlawful activity,” he said.
The president-elect’s son Donald Trump Jr. also weighed in on Serrato’s video Thursday on X, calling his comments “disgusting.”
On Serrato’s personal website, he describes himself as a “campus professional and educational speaker.”
He says he is on a mission “to create safe, inviting, and hazing free environments in all Greek organizations,” and encourages people to have “hard conversations” about hazing on campuses.
“As an undergraduate student, I lived through a nightmare situation for any Greek leader, being held responsible for the hazing-related death of a member,” Serrato’s website states. “Ever since that night, I have vowed to do everything in my power to educate Greek leaders on hazing prevention and proactive leadership.”
The UO College Republicans did not respond to requests for comment via email and social media.
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