UC Davis suspended assistant professor Jemma DeCristo without pay for one academic quarter after a social media post on Oct. 10, 2023, that said "Zionist journalists" and their children "should fear us more." An investigative report completed in June 2024 found the post caused harm and significant disruption on campus, although DeCristo said the message was intended as satire. A faculty panel recommended censure in June 2025; Chancellor Gary S. May added a suspension and placed a Letter of Censure in the professor’s personnel file. DeCristo remains employed by UC Davis.
UC Davis Suspends Professor Without Pay After Threatening Social Post; Faculty Member Keeps Position
Charlie Kirk called attention to Jemma DeCristo's post in October 2023.
An assistant professor in the University of California, Davis American Studies program was suspended without pay for one academic quarter after posting a social media message that investigators concluded caused harm to members of the Jewish community and disrupted campus operations. The professor, Jemma DeCristo, remains employed by UC Davis but was not teaching during the unpaid suspension.
What Happened
On Oct. 10, 2023, days after the Hamas attack on Israel, DeCristo posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) that named "Zionist journalists" and said they and their children "should fear us more." The post included emojis depicting a knife, an axe and drops of blood. The message was later amplified by conservative commentators and went viral, generating widespread public backlash.
Memorial Union from a Distance at the University of California-Davis campus in Davis, California, taken on July 21, 2025.
"One group of ppl we have easy access to in the US is all these Zionist journalists who spread propaganda & misinformation… they have houses w addresses, kids in school… they can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more."
Investigation And Findings
UC Davis commissioned an investigation led by the law school dean, Kevin R. Johnson, together with the outside law firm London & Stout. The investigative report, completed in June 2024 and later released publicly, recorded DeCristo’s assertion that the post was intended as satire and a "sarcastic response to distressing geopolitical events," not a literal call to violence.
The university concluded that regardless of intent the post "injured members of the Jewish community," created fear for children's safety and produced "a ripple effect of anxiety and increased burden on campus." Investigators also documented significant disruption to university operations, including hundreds of complaint emails, safety concerns from students and staff, and at least one major donor threatening to withhold six-figure gifts unless the professor was terminated.
Kerr Hall, UC Davis, Davis, California. Taken April 8, 2015.
Discipline And Current Status
A faculty panel in June 2025 recommended censure. Chancellor Gary S. May accepted the findings and added an unpaid suspension: the professor was suspended without pay for the fall academic quarter and did not receive pay from Oct. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2025. A Letter of Censure was placed in the faculty personnel file and will remain for the duration of employment. DeCristo declined to provide a public clarification or apology during the investigation, telling investigators that doing so "would just fuel the right-wing media" she said was harassing her.
Reactions And Context
The case prompted debate about academic freedom, campus safety and the limits of provocative speech by faculty. UC Davis framed the action as a response to the harm caused and the obligation to preserve conditions hospitable to student learning. The professor did not respond to a request for comment.
Key dates: post on Oct. 10, 2023; investigation completed June 2024; faculty panel recommendation June 2025; suspension Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2025.
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