Identity of Speakers
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Julia Alekseyeva
Faculty/Staff
OtherAlekseyeva is a professor at UPenn.
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Social media
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Incident Political Orientation:
Left wing -
Incident Responses:
Other
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
The University of Pennsylvania is reviewing Professor Julia Alekseyeva’s conduct after she publicly praised Luigi Mangione—the alumnus charged with killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024—first on TikTok and then on X, calling him “the icon we all need and deserve.” Although Alekseyeva has since deleted those posts, retracted her remarks, and affirmed she does not condone violence, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression argues her statements are protected under Penn’s own free‑speech policies and has demanded the probe be dropped by December 20. Critics counter that private universities may discipline faculty for praising violence, highlighting tensions over the scope of academic free speech and the responsibilities of educators in public forums.
