Virginia GOP urges UVA take action against professor over Trump tweets

On July 8, 2021, the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia wrote to the University of Virginia, accusing a government professor of violating teaching ethics by tweeting critiques of former President Donald Trump.

Key Players

Larry Sabato is a professor at the University of Virginia (UVA). He is the founder and current director of the university’s Center for Politics, which aims to promote civic engagement through “timely political analysis” and “pragmatic civics education.” Sabato, who appears frequently on television, has been outspoken with his criticism of former President Donald Trump, especially via Twitter.

Rich Anderson, current chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, formerly served as a representative for the 51st district in the state’s House of Delegates. A staunch Republican, Anderson enthusiastically supported Trump’s reelection in 2020 and has publicly criticized detractors of the former president.

Further Details

In a July 8, 2021, letter addressed to the president of the University of Virginia, James E. Ryan, and obtained by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Anderson accused Sabato of violating UVA’s ethical guidelines and urged the university to launch an investigation into his “bitter partisanship.” Because the University of Virginia is a public institution, Sabato’s reported $450,000 salary for his role with UVA’s Center for Politics is funded at least in part by taxpayers. According to Anderson, Sabato thus has a mandate to remain nonpartisan.

In the letter, Anderson cited eight of Sabato’s tweets — sent between September 2020 and July 2021 — that he claimed were in violation of UVA’s mission statement, UVA’s Center for Politics’ mission statement, and UVA’s Code of Ethics for Faculty and Staff.

Mission statements are not binding documents that regulate behavior, but an alleged violation of the code of ethics  could carry disciplinary consequences for Sabato, if the university decided to follow up on Anderson’s accusations.

Several of Sabato’s tweets, according to Anderson, were unduly inflammatory in nature. Multiple times he insulted Trump’s mental health, calling him “cuckoo,” suggesting that he be institutionalized, and describing his governance as “on the edge of insanity.” Another tweet suggested that “Highway to Hell” would be a fitting song for a Trump rally. When President Trump was reported to be pressing, in the final months of his presidency, to bring back executions by firing squad, Sabato tweeted that Trump’s alleged tax fraud should qualify the president for such a punishment.

According to Anderson, these tweets should have prompted disciplinary action from the university. “A reasonable taxpaying citizen can readily conclude that Dr. Sabato is demonstrating the rankest form of bitter partisanship,” he claimed.

Sabato shrugged off the possibility of disciplinary action. The evening Anderson’s letter was released, Sabato posted a tweet that read, “Thanks to the Republicans for the hearty laugh you’ve given me…There goes my reserved seat at your next #insurrection. Oh well.”

Outcome 

Virginia GOP under fire

Democratic politicians and Free Speech advocates rebuked Anderson’s accusations of undue bias as a partisan ploy to silence critics of the ex-president. 

David Ramadan, a former Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, in an opinion piece in The Washington Post, referred to Anderson’s actions as nothing more than “a political tirade in search of a target.” 

Jonathan Chait, a writer for The Intelligencer, agreed with Ramadan, arguing the accusation was only for show. “The occasional Republican pose as defenders of free speech, or mockers of snowflakes, was always a transparent ploy,” Chait wrote. “No abuse by the illiberal left can hold a candle to the illiberalism of a political party pledged to the whims of an authoritarian.”

The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal piled on, referring to Anderson’s letter as an “embarrassing inquisition.”

As of October 11, 2021, UVA has not punished Sabato for his tweets.