EUGENE, Ore. — A University of Oregon employee has been placed on administrative leave after posting a video on social media in which he urged supporters of former President Donald Trump to “go jump off a bridge.” Leonard Serrato, who serves as the assistant director for fraternities and sororities at the university, posted the video to his public Instagram account shortly after the recent election.
In the video, Serrato expressed strong opinions against Trump voters, using explicit language to denounce them. “I don’t care if we’ve been friends our entire lives, you can go f— yourself if you voted for Donald Trump,” he said. He continued by addressing people who are struggling with high grocery prices, advising them to “get a f—— better-paying job,” and concluding, “I hope you go jump off of a f—– bridge.”
Serrato has since removed the video and set his Instagram account to private, but copies of the video continue to circulate on social media.
The University of Oregon issued a statement condemning Serrato’s remarks and announced an investigation into the incident. “The University of Oregon finds the statements made in the video abhorrent and not in alignment with our values or mission,” the statement read. “We appreciate the conflict between his statements, his role in Student Life at the University, and our institutional values.”
The university confirmed that Serrato has been placed on administrative leave and that they are reviewing the situation under applicable policies governing public employees. “We counseled the individual and requested and confirmed that the post is down,” the statement added.
As the investigation proceeds, the university is providing mental and emotional health resources for students and staff who may have been impacted by the remarks. “As a public university, we take our duty seriously to provide an environment that welcomes diversity of thought and respect in alignment with our educational mission,” the university said.
The incident has drawn attention both on campus and online, where reactions to the video and the university’s response have been widely shared.
