Carnegie Mellon investigates Uju Anya over controversial social media posts

PITTSBURGH — Carnegie Mellon University has launched a review of social media posts attributed to Nigerian-born academic Dr Uju Anya following online backlash over remarks the institution described as “hostile and threatening.”

Anya, an associate professor of second-language acquisition in Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics, is currently on voluntary professional leave and will not teach at the university during the 2026/27 academic year, the institution said.

The university’s decision follows renewed attention to several of Anya’s posts on X, including an exchange in which she allegedly told a user to “die first” because he was white.

The exchange was highlighted on Friday by X user Wuhan Fourth Turning Swan (@TheWuhanClan), who shared screenshots and details of the interaction.

The posts reportedly originated from a February 17, 2021 comment by Anya about the late conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh.

“Rush Limbaugh finally did something positive in life by dropping dead. Good Riddance to bad rubbish,” Anya wrote.

Responding to the post, @TheWuhanClan asked, “Weird how you only celebrate the deaths of white people. Why is that?”

Anya replied, “Die first, white man, then ask yourself why I’m dancing.”

Carnegie Mellon subsequently issued a statement on X acknowledging the controversy and saying it was reviewing the matter.

“Dr Uju Anya is currently on voluntary professional leave from the university and is not teaching courses on our campus this academic year.

“We are deeply concerned by recent hostile and threatening social media posts by Dr. Anya and are reviewing this matter closely,” the university said.

The institution later clarified that the posts should not be construed as reflecting its views.

“To be clear: These posts incorrectly imply our university’s endorsement and are contrary to our community standards and values as well as our commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and welcoming campus community,” Carnegie Mellon said.

Following the backlash, Anya’s X account became inaccessible, leading to reports that she had deactivated it.

@TheWuhanClan subsequently accused the university of failing to adequately respond to previous posts attributed to Anya.

“I take this death threat against me very seriously, and your failure to discipline her wishing death and injury on multiple others in the past has encouraged her to behave even more belligerently. She is laughing about how you won’t do shit. Own this,” the user wrote.

The account also challenged Carnegie Mellon over the controversy, saying, “Her posts imply you endorse this behavior. Why would anyone pay 70k to attend your school or donate to be exposed to this filth and violence?”

X owner Elon Musk also weighed in, posting, “This is a real professor at Carnegie Mellon University …” while quoting a Grok discussion that identified Anya as Obianuju Anya and described her as a Carnegie Mellon staff member since 2021.

Anya had not publicly commented on Carnegie Mellon’s statements as of press time.

Anya previously criticised Queen Elizabeth II

Anya has previously been at the centre of international controversy over her social media posts.

In September 2022, she faced widespread backlash after commenting on Queen Elizabeth II shortly before the monarch’s death.

“I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating,” Anya wrote in a post that was later deleted for violating Twitter rules.

After the Queen’s death was announced, Anya explained that her comments were linked to her family’s experiences during the Nigerian Civil War, or Biafran War, which lasted from 1967 to 1970.

In an interview with The Cut, she said the British monarchy represented the legacy of enslavement and colonialism.

Anya said her parents were colonial subjects, one from Trinidad and the other from Nigeria, and that both survived the Biafran conflict.

She alleged that the British government supported and provided political cover for the Nigerian side during the war, saying its consequences continued to shape her life and those of others.

“Half of my family was slaughtered with guns and bombs that this queen sent to kill us,” she stated.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos later quote-tweeted Anya’s original post, questioning how someone seeking to make the world better could make such comments.

Anya responded by saying she hoped people harmed by Bezos would remember him as fondly as she remembered her “colonisers.”