When Khadijah Lynch, a coed at Brandeis University, tweeted her lack of sympathy for the two NYPD officers shot to death by a crazed black gunman, students at the school had no visible reaction. Neither did the African and Afro-American Studies Department of which Lynch is an undergraduate representative.
But the student body was anything but silent with regard to Daniel Mael, who publicized Lynch’s unfeeling and obscene comments. From Campus Reform:
A member of the Student Conduct Board emailed the university’s president and senior administrators, accusing Mael of “stalking” and “targeting” Lynch, and demanded the university hold Mael “accountable.”
Eric Owens at the Daily Caller reported that the email — written by senior Michael Piccione and titled “VERY IMPORTANT: Holding Daniel Mael accountable, and other threats to student safety!” — claimed that “Mael has exposed Khadijah to the largely white supremacist following of the website” for which he wrote. That website is the right-wing Truth Revolt.
A Change.org petition was subsequently mounted that accused Mael of libel and cyber-bullying. The petition, which is designed interestingly with the black power salute, currently has 1,000 signatures. It reads in part:
Speaking is never without fear of scrutiny and judgment, but we are all entitled to share our opinions however provocative they may be. In fact, no one reading this petition can say that they have never shared an opinion that did not align with a majority; therefore we cannot chastise another for their opinion. This past weekend, Khadijah Lynch spoke her mind on issues regarding the execution of two Brooklyn police officers. Opinions she has a right to share. While we may not all share her views, we cannot ignore the public vilification that ensued due to the misguided, diluted and unscrupulous representation of her character in an article written by Daniel Mael on the TruthRevolt website. Khadijah is a black woman and youth activist whose presence on Brandeis campus is just as necessary as any other student. The deliberate targeting and misrepresentation of Khadijah’s thoughts as well as the misuse of her personal photos have catalyzed a series of hate speech that puts her life and safety in danger. This is Libel. This is Defamation of Character. This is Cyber bullying. This should not be condoned. It is clear, that the intentions of the author were not to spurt a healthy conversation welcoming all sides, but rather to publicly defame Khadijah.
The writers of the petition do not explain how Mael’s original post at Truth Revolt “misrepresents” Lynch’s “thoughts” or why “she has a right to share” her “opinions,” but Mael — to the extent his report is opinion — does not.
The Campus Reform article notes that Mael has received death threats.
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