New Brunswick, NJ – Rutgers University is conducting a review of Assistant Professor Tracy Budd following her inflammatory social media posts regarding an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
The incident, which occurred at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, prompted Budd to post on Facebook, “Let’s hope today’s events inspire others,” followed by a comment about Trump’s appearance, “They shot his wig. Sad.”
The university, having been alerted to these posts through screen grabs of Budd’s account, expressed its disapproval and confirmed that an internal review is underway.
“Rutgers University-New Brunswick condemns calls for violence in the strongest possible terms and remains committed to upholding the principles of civil discourse,” stated a representative from Rutgers.
The university is preparing to reinforce the importance of civility as the academic community returns to campus next month.
As of Tuesday, Tracy Budd, who describes herself on LinkedIn as a non-tenure-track, full-time English professor in Rutgers’ writing program, was still employed at the university.
Budd’s academic career includes a tenure at the Jersey Journal from 1989 to 1991, degrees from Rutgers, and a long-standing position in the writing program since 2001.
The outcome of the review and any potential disciplinary actions remain pending as the university navigates this sensitive issue.