A University of New Hampshire chemistry department professor accused of operating an anonymous twitter account that sent offensive messages has resigned, school officials announced Thursday.
The professor, a white male, is alleged to have created an account where he posed as an immigrant woman of color. The account, which attracted more than 13,000 followers using the handle “piney_the,” spread misogynist, anti-trans and anti-Black Lives Matter messages, as well as re-shared nude photos of a former politician leaked without permission.
[Read NHPR's previous coverage of this story here.]
NHPR is not naming the professor as it hasn’t independently confirmed he operated the twitter account. UNH has not released his name.
“While we are limited in what we can say in order to protect the privacy of all involved, we can share that the faculty member chose to resign when the university concluded that the conduct exhibited was not consistent with the university’s values and our expectation that every faculty member contribute to a professional academic environment free of intimidation and harassment,” said University President James Dean in a statement postedThursday.
Both the anonymous account and the professor’s official twitter account were deleted on the same day, after another twitter user posted evidence linking the two accounts.
Glen Miller, chair of UNH's chemistry department, wrote in an email to colleagues last October that “everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, but when those opinions are dismissive or hurtful or harmful to others, it is not okay with me.”
Miller added the professor “is embarrassed and overwhelmed and shell shocked. He fears that this could be the end of his academic career.”
Students within the chemistry department held a protest calling for his immediate firing last fall. The professor had been on leave since October.
