Dr. Dan Johnson is an Associate Professor for the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington (UNCW).

On May 17, 2021, Dr. Johnson wrote a Facebook post—obtained by the site Campus Reform—that stated, “Blow up Republicans.”

No further explanation was given by Dr. Johnson for his animosity towards conservatives. After his post began receiving scrutiny, Dr. Johnson later wrote on his personal profile, “Time for my summer break from Facebook.”

In a statement to Campus Reform, the University stated they had “appropriately addressed” Dr. Johnson’s post. They later confirmed to the site that Dr. Johnson would still be teaching in the Fall 2021 semester.

Haylie Davis—a former student of Dr. Johnson’s—provided the following statement to Campus Reform: 

“Putting away any personal political preference aside, I think this matter should be addressed and dealt [with] in the same manner that it would be if the word ‘Republican’ was replaced with any other word. If the post stated ‘Blow up women,’ ‘Blow up homosexuals,’ ‘Blow up Catholics,’ etc.” 

She continued, “He not only represents a major university in the state of North Carolina, but he also represents a program of the university that prides itself in inclusivity. That statement is not something that represents an inclusive and accepting environment. In his position, political preference should not be expressed in such an aggressive manner that lacks the ’empathy’ that is expected and valued in today’s society and on college campuses.”

UPDATE: Through UNVW’s Office of University Relations, Dr. Dan Johnson has released an apology, which is included below:

“I posted a poorly worded expression of political frustration on my now-deleted personal Facebook page. I profoundly regret it,” Johnson said in his statement. “This statement does not reflect my personal values or UNCW’s culture of civil and respectful discourse. My attempt to ‘blow off steam’ understandably caused concern among many students, parents, alumni and other members of the UNCW community. I deeply care about the students, faculty and staff at UNCW, and I apologize to them and the university and Wilmington community.”

 

Parents and Students may contact UNC – Wilmington’s School of Health and Applied Human Sciences at (910) 962-3250 or at shahs2@uncw.edu.

Updated – June 2021