#UNC Wilmington professor to retire after controversial tweets

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University of North Carolina Wilmington professor Mike Adams
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A University of North Carolina Wilmington professor notorious for posting controversial social-media comments will retire in August, the school announced Monday.

Professor Mike Adams, who teaches sociology and criminalogy at the college, “has a history of spewing misogynistic, xenophobic, transphobic, homophobic, racist rhetoric,” says one of several change.org petitions that called for his ouster.

He got into hot water most recently for his tweets about the governor’s quarantine restrictions on residents amid the coronavirus.

Adams tweeted May 28 that universities should be allowed to stay open — while shutting down “non-essential majors. Like Women’s Studies.”

The next day, referring to Gov. Roy Cooper, Adams tweeted, “This evening I ate pizza and drank beer with six guys at a six seat table top. I almost felt like a free man who was not living in the slave state of North Carolina. Massa Cooper, let my people go!”

Many people found his use of the term “Massa,” for slave master, highly offensive, although Adams told local WECT-TV that he only was referring to the governor’s repressive approach amid the virus.

The university said in a statement on Facebook to the school community Monday, “Over the past several weeks, many of you have inquired about the status of a UNCW faculty member, Dr. Mike Adams, in light of the public attention generated by comments he made on his personal social media channels.

“We can now share the update that after a discussion with Chancellor [Jose] Sartarelli, Dr. Adams has decided to retire from UNCW, effective August 1, 2020.

“We will have no further comment on this matter at this time, but we plan to share an update later this week regarding how we hope to move forward as a university community.”

The university previously tried to deny the controversial professor tenure in 2006 but lost the battle when he sued them.