The University of Washington said it is investigating a researcher after a social media comment aimed at a prominent school choice advocate was widely interpreted as endorsing political violence.
The comment prompted backlash from conservative groups and renewed questions about how universities police online speech by employees.
The researcher, Mara Maughan, is listed by the university’s Department of Microbiology as a "Research Scientist/Engineer 1" and has office space at UW’s South Lake Union campus, according to the department’s online staff directory.
The controversy centered on a comment attributed to Maughan in response to Corey DeAngelis, the executive director of the Educational Freedom Institute. Screenshots circulated online show the comment: "May there be tyler robinsons for you all," according to The New York Post.
Critics said the remark invoked Tyler James Robinson, the Utah man charged in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and amounted to a call for copycat attacks.
Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Sept. 10, 2025, during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder and other offenses, and authorities have said the investigation into the killing remains ongoing.
DeAngelis said the comment left him concerned for his safety and the safety of his family. He argued that statements glorifying violence, even online, risk normalizing threats against public figures.
A UW spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that the university is reviewing the matter. UW Medicine said the institution "denounces violence against all people" and is conducting a review of the facts, university policies and applicable law to determine next steps.
University officials did not say how long the review could take or whether it could result in discipline. Maughan is employed in a union-represented research position, which can affect personnel timelines and procedures.
Advocacy groups critical of the university seized on the incident as another example of what they describe as permissive attitudes toward extreme political rhetoric in higher education.
Accuracy in Media President Adam Guillette called for stronger action by administrators, arguing that universities should treat language perceived as encouraging violence as incompatible with campus safety and professional standards.
The dispute arrives as universities nationwide face escalating pressure from lawmakers, donors, alumni and activists over how schools handle controversial speech, harassment and threats that spread rapidly online.
Campus leaders have increasingly been forced to weigh protections for political expression against conduct rules and workplace policies, particularly when speech is linked, fairly or not, to real-world violence.
The University of Washington said it would evaluate the matter under its policies and applicable law. For now, the school has urged the public not to draw conclusions before its review is completed.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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