What did USC Professor John Strauss say? Jewish academic suspended over Hamas remarks in wake of viral video backlash

Professor John Strauss has been banished from the University of Southern California (USC) campus after allegedly sharing his anti-Hamas opinions. A video, in which the Jewish professor seemingly wishes death on Palestinians, has gone viral online. This comes in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Now, some students are demanding his termination from the institution while others are showing him support.

In the original unedited video of the professor, John Strauss could be heard saying:

“People are ignorant.”

Before walking past a group of students, he added:

“Hamas are murderers. That’s all they are. Everyone should be killed, and I hope they all are.”

However, an edited video of him has been making rounds online. In it, his remarks about Hamas were edited out, leaving him saying, “everyone should be killed, and I hope they all are.”

The edited video gave off the impression that the educator was hoping for the death of all Palestinians.

The edited video of the economics professor went viral online, after activist Tara Alamani posted the same on X (formerly known as Twitter). She claimed that the former said the aforementioned statement to a group of students who had organized a memorial for the “10,000+ Palestinian martyrs killed in the past month.”

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According to The College Fix, John Strauss, a tenured professor, was asked to teach his students remotely for the rest of the semester after the doctored video went viral and prompted backlash.

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Petition demanding the reinstatement of John Strauss gains signatures online

A Change Org petition addressed to the University of Southern California has amassed over 13,714 signatures. In the same, the petition creator noted:

“The recent events around his forced administrative leave, barring him from campus, have not only raised serious questions about double standards in the application of free speech principles at USC but have exposed the disturbing pattern of misinformation and targeted harassment that continues to take place on our campus.”

The petition also asserted that Strauss did not identify Palestinian citizens “as the problem” but Hamas.

As discussed, the professor became a topic of interest online after walking by a November 9, 'Shut it Down for Palestine' movement. According to Reason, Strauss initially stepped on a poster that listed the Palestinians killed in the Israeli airstrikes. When he walked past the protest later on, he made the aforementioned remarks about Hamas.

The petition now demands the reinstatement of the professor, “drop the ongoing investigation" of Strauss and a public apology from the university.

Meanwhile, another petition demanding the termination of John Strauss for “Racist and Xenophobic Behavior” has appeared online as well. The Change Org petition had amassed over 7000 votes. They noted:

“This behavior is unbecoming of an educator and a professor of this stature. Additionally this tarnishes the name and reputation of this university’s name that we USC Trojans are so proudly able to call home.”

As students continue to battle, Strauss addressed the video in an interview with Annenberg Media. In the same, he stated:

“The video that was put out there by the pro-Palestinian students was doctored and claimed I said things that I never meant. I’ve asked the administration and the provost’s office to make a statement to that effect.”

John Strauss also confirmed in the interview that he stepped on a pro-Palestine sign after protestors yelled:

“Shame on you Professor Strauss.”

When NBC asked him whether he was removed from the campus as a safety precaution, he stated that it might be a possibility. He also expressed disappointment in the university not supporting him.