"The chancellor of the University of Kansas announced Thursday that a journalism professor suspended over a tweet that angrily targeted the National Rifle Association after the Navy Yard shootings will not return to his classroom in 2013," John Milburn of the Associated Press reported yesterday. "[David] Guth will be given nonclassroom assignments, including service and administrative duties, which will be completed away from the Lawrence campus as much as possible. The decision is effective Friday," Milburn added later in his article, noting that KU's administration made the decision out of a concern for guarding against a disruption of the "learning environment" on the Lawrence, Kansas, campus. [h/t my colleague Dan Gainor]
Guth, you will recall, angrily tweeted a death wish on the children of NRA members, as well as his wish that God would "damn" gun-rights advocates who oppose more gun control legislation. You will also recall that Guth stubbornly doubled-down on his statements when given the chance to recant by Campus Reform reporter Katherine Timpf.
To this day, it appears Guth has not expressed remorse for this offensive tweets, issuing a non-apology apology on Thursday, as Milburn noted:
Guth issued a statement Thursday evening apologizing for his tweet that "caused a great deal of pain for many people."
"Some interpreted my tweet differently than it was intended," Guth wrote. "I don't want anyone's children hurt. The fact my words were misconstrued is my fault."
Guth said that he was a professional communicator but didn't do a good job of explaining his position.
"I also regret that my statements have had a negative impact on the university community," he wrote, adding he appreciated the support from family, friends and colleagues over the incident.
To read our archive on Guth, click here. To follow Timpf's excellent work at Campus Reform, click here.
