Carnegie Mellon Professor Uju Anya on Voluntary Leave Amid Social Media Post Review

Carnegie Mellon University has confirmed that Nigerian-born academic Dr Uju Anya is on voluntary professional leave and will not teach courses on campus during the 2026–27 academic year.

The university said it was reviewing recent social media posts attributed to Anya, describing them as “hostile and threatening.”

“We are deeply concerned by recent hostile and threatening social media posts by Dr. Anya and are reviewing this matter closely,” Carnegie Mellon said in a statement published on September 12, 2026.

The statement followed widespread online criticism of posts attributed to Anya on X. One circulating screenshot appeared to show her writing, “Die first, white man, then ask yourself why I’m dancing.”

Carnegie Mellon subsequently clarified that the posts did not represent the university’s views or values.

“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,” the institution said.

The university did not specify all the posts being reviewed, confirm whether the widely circulated screenshot was included in the review, or announce any suspension, dismissal or other disciplinary action against Anya.

The controversy also attracted attention from billionaire Elon Musk, who commented on X while sharing a post about the academic. However, there is no indication that Musk’s intervention influenced the university’s decision to place Anya on voluntary leave.

Anya is an associate professor of second-language acquisition in Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Modern Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics.

This is not the first time her social media activity has drawn public attention. In September 2022, she faced backlash over comments concerning the late Queen Elizabeth II. At the time, Carnegie Mellon said that the personal views expressed by faculty members on social media did not necessarily represent the university’s position.

Anya’s X account was reportedly no longer accessible amid the latest backlash. As of the latest reports, she had not publicly responded to Carnegie Mellon’s statement or the ongoing review.