A University of Tampa professor of sociology has been ‘relieved of his duties’ after tweeting that Texans deserve Hurricane Harvey because of their support for Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
“I don’t believe in instant Karma but this kinda feels like it for Texas. Hopefully this will help them realize the GOP doesn’t care about them,” Kenneth Storey said in the now deleted tweet.
When other Twitter users pushed back, asking if Trump supporters in Florida deserved a similar fate, he tweeted, “Yep, those who voted for him here deserve it as well.”
This heartless display of flippant disregard for fellow Americans has landed the professor without classes to teach this fall.
A campus wide email distributed by the University of Tampa swiftly condemned Storey’s statements and instead showed compassion for the people of Texas:
“On Sunday, Aug. 27, visiting assistant professor of sociology Kenneth Storey made comments on a private Twitter account that do not reflect UT’s community views or values. We condemn the comments and the sentiment behind them, and understand the pain this irresponsible act has caused.
Storey has been relieved of his duties at UT, and his classes will be covered by other sociology faculty.
As Floridians, we are well aware of the destruction and suffering associated with tropical weather. Our thoughts and prayers are with all impacted by Hurricane Harvey.”
The University of Tampa College Republicans quickly condemned the professors tweets calling them “insensitive ignorance.”
“To say that people deserve a natural disaster over their political beliefs goes against the values of our organization and our university. We totally support his dismissal,” Zachary Nazario, Executive Director at University of Tampa College Republicans, told Red Alert Politics.
