yaf logo
yaf logo

The New Guard

Mizzou Professor “Relieved of Teaching Duties” Hours After Harmless Joke About Wuhan and COVID

By

Kara Zupkus

August 25, 2020

A University of Missouri professor is out of his teaching position after far-left students reported a joke he made about Wuhan and COVID-19 to the university.

Joel Poor, an associate teaching professor of marketing at the Trulaske College of Business, asked students to introduce themselves during the first day of classes yesterday over Zoom. One student identified himself as being from Wuhan, China– to which Poor responded, “Oh, let me get my mask on, hold on.”

According to one Twitter user, the student from Wuhan was not offended by the joke–yet dozens of leftist students took to social media demanding the school investigate Poor’s comments.

Just hours after the introductory class, Poor sent a notification to his class on Canva: “”Today I was relieved of teaching duties, I apologize for any disruption this might cause you.”

“To anyone who was offended by my comments, I sincerely apologize,” Poor wrote in a follow up email to his class. “I have nothing but respect and love for the Chinese people and especially my students from China.”

A Change.org petition has been created to urge the school to allow Poor to continue teaching.

Mizzou told YAF that Poor remains on the faculty at Mizzou, despite his relief of teaching duties. The school had no further comment as it’s a “personnel issue.”

YAF reached out to Joel Poor for comment but he did not respond by the time of publication.

This is another example of the dangers of cancel culture. This professor made a harmless joke–the student it was in response to did not take any offense with it, yet dozens of far-left students took it upon themselves to cancel this professor.

This incident will have a chilling effect on free expression as professors intentionally restrict their own opinions and free speech in the wake of Mizzou’s decision. Never bend a knee to the mob–it shows the tyrants-in-training who is truly running the school.


Are you facing bias on your campus? Let us know through our Campus Bias Tip Line.

 

Related Resources

Article

July 19, 2023

The New Guard

UC-Santa Cruz Under Fire for Hosting Virtual Commencement Ceremony Despite Pandemic’s End; Students Demand Return to Tradition

Article

July 19, 2023

The New Guard

DC-Area Students & YAFers Stand Up Against CCP’s Deadly COVID Tyranny

Article

July 19, 2023

The New Guard

YAF Commends Senator Tim Scott on His Moving Rebuttal to President Biden’s Radical Joint Address to Congress

Get Involved

Become a Member

Chapters

Events & Conferences

Host a Speaker

Campus Activism

Programs

Center for Entrepreneurship

National Journalism Center

Reagan Ranch

Reagan Boyhood Home

Campus Lectures & Activism

Defending Student Rights

Middle School Programs

News & Media

All Media

Articles

Videos

The New Guard

About

About Us

Staff Members

Our Boards

Careers

Financials

Get Involved

Become a Member

Chapters

Events & Conferences

Host a Speaker

Campus Activism

Programs

Center for Entrepreneurship

National Journalism Center

Reagan Ranch

Reagan Boyhood Home

Campus Lectures & Activism

Defending Student Rights

Middle School Programs

News & Issues

All Media

Articles

Videos

The New Guard

About

About Us

Staff Members

Our Boards

Careers

Financials