Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is facing renewed controversy after social media posts by associate professor Uju Anya resurfaced online, prompting university condemnation, faculty doxxing, and heightened campus security measures. The posts, which include derogatory language toward public figures and a 2021 exchange containing a racial slur, have ignited debate over academic freedom, institutional responsibility, and online harassment.
Viral Posts Trigger University Response
The controversy escalated on September 10 when X user @TheWuhanClan shared a screenshot of a 2021 conversation following the death of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. In the exchange, Anya allegedly wrote, “Die first, white man,” according to TribLIVE. Additional screenshots, allegedly from Anya’s now-deactivated X account, showed posts criticizing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk with derogatory language.
The posts were amplified by the X account Libs of TikTok, run by far-right influencer Chaya Raichik. Elon Musk, owner of X through his company SpaceXAI, also shared a post referencing Anya, stating, “This is a real professor at Carnegie Mellon University …”
University Issues Three Statements, Confirms Doxxing and Security Concerns
On September 14, CMU released three separate statements addressed to the campus community. The messages were authored by:
- President Farnam Jahanian and Provost James Garrett Jr.
- Cassidy Sugimoto, dean of Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Adam van Compernolle, interim head of the Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics (LCAL)
All three statements expressed concern over the content of Anya’s social media activity. Jahanian and Garrett confirmed that members of the languages department had been doxxed and had received an “influx of threatening messages that leave them feeling distressed and unsafe,” though university police had not identified any credible threats. As a precaution, at least one class was moved online, according to The Tartan, CMU’s student newspaper. The LCAL department also paused its conversation group meetings.
Regarding personnel actions, university officials stated policy prohibited sharing specific information about Anya but confirmed they were “taking swift action in accordance with their processes.” Anya is currently on voluntary professional leave through summer 2027 and is not teaching classes this academic year. USA TODAY reached out to Anya for comment but received an automatic reply indicating she is on sabbatical and not regularly checking email.
CMU Condemns Language as Violation of Community Standards
In their joint statement, Jahanian and Garrett emphasized that while the university encourages free speech, they “strongly reject language that is hateful and disparages or calls for the harm of others.” They said Anya’s posts used expletives, racial slurs, and derogatory language that “demeaned, dehumanized and intimidated” in a way that violated CMU’s community standards.
The statements referenced the department’s policy on community responsibilities, which prohibits harassment, discrimination, and disrespect. Jahanian and Garrett noted the policy applies to both on-campus and personal off-campus communication “where there is a reasonable perception or expectation that we are acting as representatives of LCAL, Dietrich College, and/or Carnegie Mellon University.”
Previous Controversy in 2022 Over Queen Elizabeth Comments
This is not the first time Anya’s social media activity has drawn public backlash. In September 2022, a post about Queen Elizabeth II sparked outrage. In a screenshot allegedly from her account, Anya wrote: “I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating.”
At the time, CMU officials responded on Facebook, stating the university did not condone the “offensive and objectionable message” posted to Anya’s personal account. They added: “Free expression is core to the mission of higher education, however, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standard of discourse we seek to foster.”
The 2022 incident prompted competing open letters. Students published a letter supporting Anya in The Tartan. A separate faculty letter, signed by scholars from Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Stony Brook University, Northwestern University, and University of South Florida, criticized CMU’s response. The letter garnered 4,119 signatures from staff, faculty, and independent individuals.
The faculty authors wrote: “We ask university officials at CMU to consider what harms are both elided from critical discourse and reproduced in the classroom when they choose to stand on the side of the oppressor. Universities must be intentional about how they respond to public discourse and critically evaluate who they are targeting and/or harming by their response or lack of response. We call on universities to stop being reactive when issues of structural oppression are called to their attention and take seriously its impacts on staff, faculty, students, and families.”
The letter also questioned what authors described as a disparity in the university’s defense of free speech, citing strong support from Jahanian for the First Amendment rights of Richard Grenell, a CMU-affiliated senior fellow and former Trump official accused of publishing antisemitic and sinophobic conspiracy theories.
Ongoing Tensions Highlight Campus Speech Debates
The recurring controversies underscore persistent tensions at U.S. universities over the boundaries of faculty speech, institutional accountability, and the safety of community members targeted by online harassment. As CMU navigates the current fallout, the case continues to draw national attention to how academic institutions balance free expression with community standards in the digital age.