University of Utah student suspended for exposing professor's history of anti-white racism

A student is facing discipline after exposing a university professor’s extensive history of racist, anti-white social media posts.

Craig Jones, a student at the University of Utah, was notified that the school intended to suspend him from campus for two years for posting flyers on campus that included racist tweets from Professor Ashton Avila, according to a post from Libs of TikTok. 

“Based on the preponderance standard, it is more likely than not that you engaged in intimidating and threatening behavior by repeatedly targeting and calling out a University of Utah Asia Campus faculty member,” a letter sent to Jones by the Director of Student Accountability stated.

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The letter also claimed that the school took Korean law into account when deciding upon the sanctions, though it is unclear if the incident took place in Korea or if Avila was simply there at the time. 

“While you described your conduct as merely ‘rude,’ its impact, particularly on the faculty member who reported the incident to Korean police, warrants elevated sanctions,” the letter continued. “Under Korean law, harassment and defamation are serious matters, and the University of Utah is obligated to treat potential violations of law as violations of University policy.”

Jones was informed that he could accept the sanctions or take his case to a hearing with “a neutral decision-maker.”

Avila, who teaches in the Department of Film and Media Art, has a lengthy history of posting anti-white tweets.

“Yes, I want to walk into every room with the confidence of an average white man,” she wrote in one post. “But I’d also like average white men to walk into every room feeling like none of their qualifications will ever be enough but they still need to find a way to prove they deserve to be there.”

“The only thing stronger than white fear is white guilt,” she wrote in another, apparently referencing a quote from the television series Weeds.

Avila also made a series of posts gushing over Luigi Mangione, accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. She reposted one tweet that read, “luigi mangione is going to win dancing with the stars,” wrote another that said, “Y’all this is it. Luigi is going to announce Reputation,” and asked in another, “Ok but can Biden add Luigi to the pardon list?”

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According to her personal webpage, Avila identifies as a “queer Mexican-American writer-director” and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Film Media and Gender & Women’s Studies. Her most recent work includes directing a season of the “LGBTQIA+ series Guys Like You.

Some of her other work includes writing the short film “Crabs.” A short description of the film on her website reads, “Just as she’s about to enter a Planned Parenthood, a woman notices a suspicious young man lurking nearby.”

“Have a Little Faith,” another short film, includes a blurb describing: “A rebellious teenager is determined to get kicked out of her new Christian High School and teach the new boy she meets there what it really means to ‘have a little Faith.’”

Avila also advertises a number of left-leaning work she has done at the University of Utah in her capacity as a professor. She teaches a “Diversity in Film” class, which “will focus on topics including but not limited to: feminism, gender, sexuality, race and economic class systems.”

She also organized a “Queer Representation with Cinematographer Savannah Bloch” event during Pride Week.

All relevant parties have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

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