Carnegie Mellon University has placed professor Uju Anya on a voluntary leave of absence as the institution investigates her social media posts, which the university described as "hostile and threatening." The probe follows Anya's comments, including a recent post where she stated she would "dance" while a "white man" dies.
Anya, a Nigerian-born academic who joined Carnegie Mellon in 2021, had previously made controversial statements online. These included wishing Queen Elizabeth II an "excruciating" death and celebrating the death of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh in February 2021.
The situation escalated when a user challenged Anya about her history of celebrating the deaths of white individuals. Anya responded, "Die first, white man, then ask yourself why I’m dancing." This post gained wider attention after being shared by Elon Musk.
Initially, Anya appeared defiant, suggesting the university was aware of her past posts and had actively recruited her. She claimed her department chair was dismissing complaints, stating, "My department chair just texted me saying they’re throwing all of your emails in the trash."
However, Carnegie Mellon issued a statement asserting that Anya was on a "voluntary professional leave" and not teaching. The university emphasized that Anya's posts did not reflect the institution's values and were contrary to its commitment to a "safe, respectful and welcoming campus community."
Further examination of Anya's past online activity revealed more inflammatory statements. In August 2022, prior to Queen Elizabeth II's death, Anya wrote, "I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating."
She also marked the anniversary of Charlie Kirk's assassination by writing, "May he rot in piss," and calling him a "s–tbag."
Anya later made her Instagram account private and claimed she was a victim of harassment, stating she had been "doxxed" by "fascist white supremacist MAGA trolls." She asserted that she had no regrets and would not apologize for her remarks, adding, "May they all eat s–t."
In a previous statement on the platform Medium, Anya seemed to take pride in university administrators informing her that her behavior "embarrasses Carnegie Mellon and damages its reputation." She questioned the university's focus on her conduct over its association with figures she described as "rapists, dictators, genociders, and baby bombers."
An out-of-office reply from Anya's Carnegie Mellon email stated she was on sabbatical leave for the 2026-27 academic year and the account was not being checked frequently.