Screenshot taken from X account of Libs of TikTok.
A professor from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio sent an email consoling students who were upset about President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.
The X account Libs of TikTok posted a screenshot of the email on Wednesday, the day after the election. The subject line for the email is “Day of Dissapointment [sic].”
SCOOP: Meet professor Michelle Reinstatler of @miamiuniversity. She sent this “Day of Disappointment” email to students mourning and coping with Trump’s win.
This is higher education pic.twitter.com/U07u4opaRe
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 6, 2024
“For those of you dispirited by the choices of the people of the United States: Rest today, be ready to continue the struggle,” Michelle Reinstatler, a visiting assistant professor, said in the email to students. “Never give up. We can make our country and the world a better place for everyone, regardless of who they are.”
[RELATED: Georgetown gives students milk and cookies to help them cope with election]
Reinstatler’s research interests are “Medieval literature, pop culture representations of mental illness, conspiracy theory, horror films/other media, and gender and sexuality representation in pop culture.”
Reinstatler told Campus Reform: “I teach WGS 201: Intro to Women, Gender, and Sexuality and WGS 202: Intro to LGBTQ+ Studies. There are many women and people who identify as queer enrolled in my sections. Many students communicated an immense amount of anxiety about the outcome of the election based on the words and actions of President Elect Trump. Some were feeling pretty hopeless and concerned about their future safety and the future of their rights.”
Reinstatler criticized the repealing of Roe V. Wade, which the professor condemned as leading to “ill-thought out abortion bans in certain states.” Reinstatler also condemned laws “that limit the freedoms and deny the identities of trans and non-binary people.”
The professor also told Campus Reform that “I work very hard to ensure my classroom is a comfortable place for respectful discussion and free exchange of ideas,” and claimed that “I have received feedback from many students, including those that do not align with my personal ideology, that I have succeeded in that endeavor.”
“Ultimately, I have never and will never dictate belief or ideology to anyone. The email I sent did not include demands for agreement. Everyone has a right to celebrate or bemoan the selection of elected officials. Criticism instigates improvement,” Reinstatler continued.
Many colleges and universities are trying to help students cope with the results of the 2024 presidential election.
Some Harvard University professors, for example, allowed their students to skip attending class.
Indiana University administrators organized a “Cocoa and Conversation” for students as part of the school’s Election Week programming.
Campus Reform has contacted Miami University for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
