Professor Shailene Rodriguez, who swung a machete at a journalist's neck last May, has been fired from her teaching position at Cooper Union in Manhattan. The termination reportedly came over Rodriguez's anti-Israel comments on social media, marking the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the university professor.
Shailene Rodriguez shared an alleged email on January 23, 2024, in which she claimed she was fired from her job when she shared a post on social media in which she used the word “Zionists.” A screenshot of the email was shared on Instagram by Cooper Students for Justice in Palestine, in which Rodriguez called the decision to fire her “fascism,” and urged students to stay strong and brave.
Rodriguez also shared an Instagram post in which she said she was fired over public comments about Zionists. She also participated in the CUNY Committee for Palestine in January, where she called for a protest against landlords and business people with ties to Israel. Critics argued that she used anti-Semitic tropes during the discussion.
Screenshots obtained by the post She also revealed that Rodriguez posted a post of a pro-Israel event that was edited with roaches on her Instagram, with a disparaging comment targeting former Bronx Mayor Ruben Diaz Jr.
Shellyne Rodriguez is no longer listed as an adjunct on the Cooper Union faculty page
While a college spokesperson declined to comment on personnel matters, Rodriguez is no longer listed as an assistant on Cooper Union's faculty page.
The shooting sparked mixed reactions, with the pro-Palestinian student group condemning it as an “intense escalation of repression.” They defended Rodriguez for speaking out against “genocide and settler colonial violence.”
On the other hand, some, like Jeffrey Lax, a CUNY law professor and co-founder of the CUNY Students and Equity College, expressed relief at the termination, citing Rodriguez's “vile” comments during the CUNY panel.
Rodriguez was previously expelled from Hunter College and the School of Visual Arts in Chelsea after the machete incident. At the time, she also pleaded guilty to charges of harassment and menacing in connection with the attack on the reporter.
News of her expulsion also comes amid broader tensions at Cooper Union, where Jewish students were allegedly forced to barricade themselves in the library while pro-Palestinian demonstrators banged on doors forcefully. Rodriguez's history of organizing anti-police demonstrations in 2020 adds to the controversial background of her career.
The pro-Palestinian student group criticized the decision to dismiss Shailene Rodriguez. They said it was like making things much worse, and they thought everyone should stand up against it.
The group sent a letter to the school saying they believe the school made a big mistake by letting Shailene Rodriguez go. They believe she is an important educator for students and the community, and support her for speaking out against what she calls “genocide and settler colonial violence.”
