Carnegie Mellon University in the United States has opened a review of social media posts attributed to Nigerian-born academic Dr Uju Anya following growing criticism online.
The university said it was “deeply concerned” about what it described as recent “hostile and threatening” posts by Anya, an associate professor of second language acquisition.
In a statement published through its official X account, Carnegie Mellon said it was reviewing the matter closely. It also made clear that the posts did not represent the university’s position.
No disciplinary action or conclusion from the review had been announced at the time of publication.
University responds to controversy
Carnegie Mellon said the disputed posts were contrary to its community standards and its commitment to maintaining a safe, respectful and welcoming campus.
The university also confirmed that Anya is currently on voluntary professional leave and is not teaching courses on campus during the 2026/27 academic year.
However, the statement did not say that the leave was imposed because of the posts. The university described it as voluntary, meaning it should not be reported as a suspension or disciplinary measure.
Anya also remains listed on Carnegie Mellon’s official faculty page as an associate professor in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics.
Her research covers language learning, critical applied linguistics and the experiences of Black people in multilingual education. She joined Carnegie Mellon in 2021.
Older exchange returns to public attention
The controversy followed the circulation of screenshots said to show exchanges involving Anya’s X account.
According to Vanguard, one widely shared exchange originated in February 2021 after the death of American conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.
A screenshot attributed to Anya showed a post celebrating Limbaugh’s death. When another user accused her of celebrating the deaths of white people, an account carrying her name allegedly responded by telling the person to “die first”.
The exchange returned to public attention after an X user shared screenshots and urged Carnegie Mellon to act. The user interpreted Anya’s response as a threat and accused the university of failing to address her previous online comments.
Carnegie Mellon’s statement referred broadly to “recent” social media posts. It did not publicly identify every post under review or confirm that the resurfaced 2021 exchange was the only subject of its inquiry.
Anya’s X account later became inaccessible, leading to reports that it had been deactivated. It remained unclear whether she removed the account herself or whether the platform had taken action.
She had not issued a public response to the university’s latest statement when reports were published on Saturday.
Previous controversy involving Queen Elizabeth II
Anya attracted international attention in September 2022 after posting strongly worded comments about Queen Elizabeth II shortly before the monarch died.
In the deleted post, she criticised the British Empire and expressed anger over Britain’s involvement in the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War.
Anya later explained that members of her family had been affected by the conflict and that she viewed the British monarchy as representing a history of colonialism and violence.
Carnegie Mellon distanced itself from her comments at the time. The university said it did not condone the message but also recognised the importance of free expression in higher education.
The controversy produced sharply divided reactions. Some critics demanded disciplinary action, while supporters argued that Anya’s comments were informed by her family’s experience of colonialism and war.
Anya was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and a mother from Trinidad and Tobago. She later moved to the United States and built an academic career focused on language, race, identity and education.
Review remains unresolved
Carnegie Mellon has not explained how long its review will take or what university rules may apply.
It has also not announced that Anya has been suspended, dismissed or formally sanctioned. Her voluntary leave should not be presented as proof that the university has already reached a decision.
The available information confirms only that the university is examining the posts and considers them inconsistent with its stated community values.
Further reporting will depend on any response from Anya and the outcome of Carnegie Mellon’s review. Until then, claims about possible punishment or the reasons for her professional leave would be speculation.
