Source: Screencap via NY Post / NY Pos
A professor at a New York City university was fired after threatening a reporter with a machete after they reached out to her about another confrontation.
On Wednesday (May 24th), Hunter College confirmed that it fired its professor Shellyne Rodriguez after Rodriguez confronted New York Post reporter Reuven Fenton and a photographer who showed up to her apartment in the Bronx to speak with her about a viral video where she was captured in a heated confrontation with a pro-life student group.
“Hunter College strongly condemns the unacceptable actions of Shellyne Rodriguez and has taken immediate action,” said spokesperson Vince Dimiceli in a statement hours after the incident. “Rodriguez has been relieved of her duties at Hunter College effective immediately, and will not be returning to teach at the school.”
Fenton and the photographer had gone to the art professor’s apartment to ask her about her verbal altercation with members of the Students for Life pro-life group who had a table set up on campus earlier in the month. According to Fenton, Rodriguez yelled “Get the f–k away from my door, or I’m gonna chop you up with this machete!” before opening up her door and allegedly holding the weapon to Fenton’s throat according to the Post. She yelled, “Get the f–k away from my door!” repeatedly, prompting both men to leave. As the photographer snapped a photograph, Rodriguez followed the two outside of the building, chasing them to their car while yelling “Get the f–k off the block! Get the f–k out of here, yo!” The incident was captured on the dash cam inside of the reporter’s car.
In the viral video taken earlier that month, Rodriguez approached the table set up at the CUNY school by Students for Life. “You’re not educating… This is… propaganda,” she tells those students present. “This is violent. You’re triggering my students.” She would go on to demand their removal in a rant filled with expletives, shoving pamphlets off of the table in the process. A spokesperson for the New York Police Department said it had been notified of an incident and was beginning investigations.
The Post’s reporting also claims that Rodriguez is currently suing the NYPD claiming that officers abused her as she was exiting a protest for George Floyd in 2020. According to the court filings, officers allegedly shoved her face into a gate, pulled her hair, and punched her repeatedly in the stomach. Charges against her at the time were dropped in September 2020.
