Professor accused of mocking Trayvon Martin at historically Black university in Georgia
A historically Black college in Georgia is investigating after students say a professor trivialized the death of Trayvon Martin.
A student at Fort Valley State University posted Tuesday on Twitter, saying a business professor told students to remove their hoodies and that they weren’t “going for Skittles and sweet tea.” The tweet has been shared more than 20,000 times.
University officials said “a thorough investigation” is underway into the reported remarks students say mock the Black teenager’s death.
“Because we take our students’ experience very seriously and want to promote the highest level of student success in a positive environment — in following the University’s protocols, we immediately opened an investigation into this complaint to clearly understand what occurred,” a spokesperson for the university told McClatchy News in a statement.
The controversy unfolded online Tuesday after a student took to Twitter to share her outrage over the quip allegedly made by a professor, who was not identified.
“My professor just said ‘Take your hoodie off... you’re not going for skittles and sweet tea’ ... I’m speechless,” the student wrote in the tweet.
In an email to university President Paul A. Jones, student Janei Dortilus described the moment her professor asked a student to remove his hood before proceeding to “hint at the humorless murder of Trayvon Martin,” screenshots show.
Martin, 17, was fatally shot by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, on Feb. 26, 2012. Zimmerman called 911 to report a “suspicious person.” Despite being told not to approach the person, Zimmerman did and shot Martin, claiming it was in self-defense.
Martin was unarmed when he was killed, wearing a hoodie and carrying a bag of Skittles and can of sweet tea.
Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder but was ultimately acquitted by a jury in July 2013, a decision that sparked nationwide protests and served as a catalyst for social justice groups including Black Lives Matter.
“As you can imagine, I am filled with repugnance, rage, indignation and frustration,” Dortilus wrote in her email, calling the professor’s comment “inappropriate” and “insensitive.” “This unfathomable behavior should not be tolerated at my university, or any other institution for that matter.”
Her tweet has sparked outrage from the campus community and calls for the professor in question to be disciplined.
The university declined to comment on the incident to ensure “that the integrity of the investigation is maintained,” according to a statement.
Fort Valley State University is about 30 miles southeast of Macon and is one of 10 historically Black universities in Georgia.
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 1:32 PM with the headline "Professor accused of mocking Trayvon Martin at historically Black university in Georgia."