A conservative professor who was forced to resign from the University of North Carolina due to his “controversial views” was found dead at his home in New Hanover County on Thursday afternoon.
According to a local news outlet, officials have released no information about what may have happened but identified the body as that of Dr Mike Adams, a pro-life speaker, author and columnist at Town Hall and The Daily Wire.
Last month, UNCW announced that Dr Adams would be retiring on August 1, a decision that comes “in light of” Dr Adam’s “controversial statements” on social media. Dr Adams’ conservative opinions resulted in him being branded a “racist,” “misogynist,” and “homophobe.”
At least two petitions were set up calling for the removal of Dr Adams, one of which garnered close to 30,000 signatures. Another has attracted 10,000 signatures.
“This petition is also an individual’s pledge to withhold any financial support to The University of North Carolina Wilmington, until Mike Adams is removed,” the petition states.
“This includes withholding alumni endowments, and any donations. Also, pledging not to apply to, or pay admission to UNCW for yourself or for a dependent.”
On June 30, the university posted a statement to their Facebook page which said:
“Dear Seahawk Community: Over the past several weeks, many of you have inquired about the status of a UNCW faculty member, Dr. Mike Adams, in light of the public attention generated by comments he made on his personal social media channels. We can now share the update that after a discussion with Chancellor Sartarelli, Dr. Adams has decided to retire from UNCW, effective August 1, 2020. We will have no further comment on this matter at this time, but we plan to share an update later this week regarding how we hope to move forward as a university community.”
Following the news of Dr Adam’s death, the Office of University Relations on behalf of the Division of Academic Affairs at UNCW released a statement:
“It is with sadness that we share the news that the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation involving Dr. Mike Adams, professor of criminology. Please keep his friends and loved ones in your thoughts. Students may call the University Counseling Center (910.962.3746) for grief support; faculty and staff can seek support through the Employee Assistance Program.”
Dr Adams was well known for his defense of the unborn.
