Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has commenced a review of recent social media posts attributed to Nigerian-born academic, Dr Uju Anya, describing the posts as “hostile and threatening” amid growing online backlash.
The university, however, has not announced any disciplinary action against Anya, who is currently on voluntary professional leave and is not teaching courses at the institution during the 2026 academic year.
The controversy intensified following the circulation of screenshots of an exchange between Anya and an X user, Wuhan Fourth Turning Swan (@TheWuhanClan), over comments concerning the death of late conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.
According to the screenshots, Anya had written in a February 17, 2021 post: “Rush Limbaugh finally did something positive in life by dropping dead. Good Riddance to bad rubbish.”
The X user subsequently 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.”
The exchange triggered renewed criticism online, with some users calling for sanctions against the academic. X owner Elon Musk also drew attention to the controversy.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Carnegie Mellon said: “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 later issued a clarification, stating: “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.”
Anya’s X account subsequently became inaccessible amid the backlash, prompting reports that she had deactivated it. However, it could not be independently confirmed whether she removed the account herself or whether it became unavailable for another reason.
The X account that brought the posts to wider attention also criticised Carnegie Mellon over what it described as the university’s failure to act against Anya.
In one post, the user wrote: “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.”
Commenting on Carnegie Mellon’s statement, the account added: “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?”
Musk also joined the controversy, posting, “This is a real professor at Carnegie Mellon University …” while quoting a Grok discussion that identified Anya by her full name, Obianuju Anya, and described her as a Carnegie Mellon staff member since 2021.
The university has not disclosed all the posts currently under review and has not confirmed whether the circulating “Die first, white man…” screenshot forms part of the investigation.
It has also not announced that Anya has been suspended, dismissed or subjected to any other disciplinary measure.
Anya is an associate professor of second-language acquisition in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics.
As of the time of filing, she had not publicly responded to the university’s statement or the renewed controversy.
2022 Queen Elizabeth Controversy
The latest controversy is not the first time Anya’s social media activity has drawn widespread criticism.
In September 2022, she faced international backlash after posting a message about the late Queen Elizabeth II shortly before the monarch’s death.
Anya had written: “I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating.”
The post was later deleted for violating Twitter rules.
Following the announcement of the Queen’s death, Anya wrote that she felt only disdain for the monarch, whom she accused of representing a government that sponsored the genocide that killed and displaced members of her family during the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, between 1967 and 1970.
Speaking to The Cut at the time, Anya explained that she viewed the British monarchy as a symbol of the legacy of enslavement and colonialism.
“Half of my family was slaughtered with guns and bombs that this queen sent to kill us,” she stated.
Anya said her parents were colonial subjects, with one from Trinidad and the other from Nigeria, and that her family survived the Biafran conflict.
She also claimed that the British Government supported the Nigerian side during the conflict and that the consequences had shaped her life and that of many others.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos later quote-tweeted her original post and questioned how someone working to make the world better could make such remarks. Anya responded by wishing that people harmed by Bezos would remember him as fondly as she remembered her “colonisers.”
While the comments attracted widespread condemnation, some Nigerians, including Nollywood actor Yul Edochie, defended Anya.
Edochie said she had spoken “our truth” and thanked her for speaking on behalf of her people.
Anya subsequently thanked Nigerians, particularly people from Alaigbo, for supporting her and said they had helped share their pain and educate the world about their history.
