The University of Oregon has placed a top administrator on leave after a video surfaced in which he delivered a profanity-laden rant aimed at Trump supporters, urging them to "jump off a bridge." The university is investigating the incident, which has sparked backlash and drawn criticism from Donald Trump Jr., Breitbart reported.
The university is now investigating the incident, citing concerns about the content of the remarks and their potential impact on the campus community.
Leonard Serrato, the Assistant Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life at the University of Oregon, posted the controversial video shortly after President-elect Donald Trump secured a sweeping victory in the recent election. In his video, Serrato expressed his frustration and anger, directing harsh language at those who voted for Trump.
"I'm done crying. My sadness is over. My anger has set in. I am a very petty person, and I am very proud of that — love it about myself, actually," Serrato stated in the video, expressing an unfiltered reaction to the election results.
"And so, I say this in the most disrespectful way possible: I don't care if you are my family, I don't care if you are my friend, I don't care if we have been friends our entire lives, you can literally go [expletive] yourself if you voted for Donald Trump."
Serrato's comments escalated further as he addressed complaints from Trump supporters about economic issues.
"If you are so sad about your groceries being expensive, get a better [expletive] paying job, do better in life. Get an [expletive] education," Serrato added. "Do something because you are [expletive] stupid, and I hope you go jump off of an [expletive] bridge."
The video quickly drew criticism and attention from social media, including a response from Donald Trump Jr., who condemned Serrato's statements in a post on X. "Feel[s] sort of ironic that the guy that runs fraternity and sorority life at University of Oregon probably could have never gotten into a fraternity," Trump Jr. wrote, adding, "It's disgusting, but not surprising, that an employee at a state University would speak this way about MORE THAN HALF of the country."
The University of Oregon responded to the controversy on Thursday, confirming that Serrato had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. A spokesperson stated, "The University of Oregon finds the statements made in the video abhorrent and not in alignment with our values or mission. We appreciate the conflict between his statements, his role in Student Life at the university, and our institutional values."
The spokesperson added, "We opened an investigation and are reviewing the matter under university policies and the individual's role as a public employee. We counseled the individual and requested and confirmed that the post is down."
According to the school's website, Serrato, who has worked with the university's Fraternity and Sorority Life division for six years, advocates for anti-hazing initiatives. However, his future with the university remains uncertain as the investigation proceeds.