Carnegie Mellon University is investigating social media posts by Nigerian-born professor Uju Anya that were described as “hostile and threatening.” The university stated that recent posts, including one where Anya allegedly told a user to “Die first, white man,” led them to place her on voluntary professional leave for the 2026-27 academic year. The controversy began after an exchange in February 2021 regarding Rush Limbaugh’s death and resurfaced when another account accused Carnegie Mellon of not disciplining Anya previously. This is not the first time Anya's social media activity has drawn criticism, with previous posts about Queen Elizabeth II also sparking widespread debate.
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Carnegie Mellon University is investigating social media posts by Uju Anya, a Nigerian-born associate professor in its Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics. The university launched the review after a recent backlash over remarks described as "hostile and threatening." Anya is currently on voluntary professional leave and is not teaching during the 2026-27 academic year. The controversy centers on an exchange from February 2021, where Anya made comments on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the death of conservative US radio host Rush Limbaugh that were perceived as celebrating the deaths of white people. Carnegie Mellon stated it is "deeply concerned" about the posts and emphasized they do not represent its views or values. The university clarified that the posts are contrary to its commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful campus environment.
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Carnegie Mellon University has launched a review of social media posts attributed to Nigerian-born professor Uju Anya after a fresh backlash over remarks described by the university as “hostile and threatening”.
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University → launch → university
The university said Anya, an associate professor of second-language acquisition in its Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics, is currently on voluntary professional leave and is not teaching on campus during the 2026-27 academic year.
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Anya → say → year
“We are deeply concerned by recent hostile and threatening social media posts by Dr. Anya and are reviewing this matter closely,” Carnegie Mellon said in a statement posted on X.
The university also clarified that the posts did not represent its views and said they were contrary to its community standards and values, as well as its commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful campus.
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they → concern → campus
The controversy centres on a resurfaced exchange on X involving Anya and an account identified as @TheWuhanClan.
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controversy → centre → @TheWuhanClan
The exchange starts from a post in February 2021, when Anya commented on the death of conservative US radio host Rush Limbaugh.
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Anya → start → Limbaugh
After the account accused her of celebrating the deaths of white people, Anya responded with a post telling the user to “Die first, white man, then ask yourself why I’m dancing.”
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I → accuse → yourself
The X account later directly addressed the university, alleging that Anya had made similar comments in the past and accusing Carnegie Mellon of failing to discipline her.
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Anya → address → her
The account described the latest post as a death threat and demanded that the university “own” the controversy.
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university → describe → controversy
The issue also drew attention from billionaire Elon Musk, who commented on the controversy on X while identifying Anya as a professor at Carnegie Mellon.
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who → draw → Mellon
Anya’s X account became inaccessible amid the backlash, with reports suggesting that the account had been deactivated.
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account → become → backlash
She had not publicly responded to Carnegie Mellon’s latest statements as of Saturday.
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She → respond → Saturday
Meanwhile, Anya made disparaging posts on Charlie Kirk's death anniversary and wished 'Eid al Kirk mubarak'.
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Anya → make → mubarak
The latest controversy is not the first time Anya’s social media posts have attracted international attention.
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posts → attract → attention
In September 2022, she faced widespread criticism after posting comments about the late Queen Elizabeth II shortly before the monarch’s death.
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she → face → death
Anya accused the British monarchy of representing the legacy of colonialism and blamed Britain for supporting the Nigerian government during the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, from 1967 to 1970.
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Anya → accuse → 1970
Anya later explained that members of her family had been killed and displaced during the conflict and that the history of British involvement in Nigeria shaped her views of the monarchy.
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history → explain → monarchy
Her comments at the time also drew reactions from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who questioned how someone seeking to make the world better could make such remarks.
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world → draw → remarks
