Liberal professors meltdown, cancel classes after Trump’s win

Professors at publicly-funded universities are cancelling classes, going into “recluse mode” and lashing out at Christians following Donald Trump’s resounding election win.

Jason Burrow of the University of Arkansas is one example. 

The musical theater professor is “ashamed” that “the folks who claim Christ’s path are the ones who put the worst human I’ve ever seen in office,” he posted on X, according to LibsofTikTok. “For what? Cause you think he’ll make your bank account get bigger? 

“You voted for it to be ok for people to hate me for who I love,” writes Burrow, a former associate music director for the touring Hamilton the Musical and former member of Gospel choir Broadway Inspirational Voices, according to his online bio. “You voted for my daughter to not have the healthcare let’s pray she never needs. You voted to hate my international students who are wanting a better life. 

“I will not rub your nose in it and will welcome you to the fight of decent people. In the meantime I guess have fun storming the capital again and being scared of brown and trans people.” 

Burrow also retweeted a post from Noodle LoMein about how “The person you voted for is homophobic, racist, hates women” and “You cannot tell someone you love them and then try to take away their rights.” 

Burrow wrote on top of that, “This is how I feel. I will never wish you harm, but that doesn’t mean I feel safe around you.” 

And he’s far from the only one. 

Elise McCue writes in The Daily Signal about how a host of professors at Virginia Tech University, her alma mater, are responding in a similar fashion. 

“Professors at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, this week have decided to baby their students—and themselves—in the wake of Donald Trump’s second presidential victory by canceling in-person classes due to the stress the presidential election may have wrought,” McCue writes. 

Jeff Mann, an associate English professor, cancelled classes because “The election results have me so thoroughly disgusted I’m going into recluse mode for a few days,” according to a message sent to students. His back is also bothering him.

Mann, the author of “The Sagas of Mann: Erotic Viking Tales,” sent that message to his Introduction to Creative Writing class, McCue reports. 

Another professor cancelled class in light of “the present state of affairs,” and urged students to use the normal class time “to take care of themselves in whatever way you need to.” 

For another professor, there was no class so students could “alleviate some of your post-election stress.” 

The university’s United Feminist Movement chapter even held a pre-planned “destress” night featuring coloring  and yoga. 

“That’s right, Virginia. Your taxpayer dollars are going toward students not going to class and professors not showing up to their jobs,” McCue writes. 

Mann and other Virginia Tech professors mentioned here did not respond to McCue’s requests for comment. The university also did not respond to a Daily Signal inquiry if the class cancellations were allowed in the school’s official guidelines and whether the parents, guardians or students paying tuition would get a partial refund for the canceled classes. 

The university’s Institute for Policy and Governance did however send an email Friday highlighting five articles on the repercussions of Trump’s second term, including “how American democracy is at a grave risk” with the Republican back in office. 

Virginia Tech found itself in hot water last year when the director of its Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Partnerships used her work email to forward a message slamming local conservative school board candidates as “hateful” and urging recipients to work to get the candidates’ opponents elected. 

McCue lamented the “mass hysteria” she was witnessing at her alma mater, and said it was “no surprise that Gen-Z’s mental health is failing when the adults entrusted with their education are training them to avoid negative feelings. It is even less of a surprise that, according to Gallup polling, Americans increasingly have little to no confidence in higher education anymore. 

Material from The Daily Signal is included in this report.