A teaching professor is leaving the United States after receiving death threats tied to political views that go against the Trump administration. Mark Bray, who teaches and conducts research on anti-fascism at Rutgers University, has studied groups including antifa.
On Monday, Sept. 22, President Donald Trump officially designated antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, citing its use of violence, intimidation and coordinated attacks against law enforcement and political figures. The designation notes that antifa recruits and radicalizes individuals to carry out these activities and takes steps to conceal its operations and funding.
Bray and his family currently live in New Jersey. After emails and messages that included the threat “I’m gonna burn your house down and kill you as you come running out,” he plans to relocate to Spain.
Bray told Newsweek that the threats reflect the times we live in.
“This is reflective of the broader trend in the country,” he said. “The Trump administration, I believe, is moving the country in a markedly authoritarian direction and that takes a number of forms — but one of those forms is an attack on academic freedom and higher education.”
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Bray’s research and antifa book draw criticism
Bray is an author and a history professor at Rutgers University. His 2017 book, “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook,” became a bestseller and has drawn attention in the current political climate, including criticism from the campus’ chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA).
A student and treasurer of the organization, co-founded by Charlie Kirk, labeled Bray a “prominent leader” of antifa through a petition. The petition helped start the wave of threats against him and called on him to resign from his position.
The petition notes that Bray’s book is circulated among leftist and anarchist groups online and emphasizes his support for the International Anti-Fascist Defense Fund, which has provided legal aid to individuals accused of politically motivated violence, including an incident at an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Texas last year.
Students and supporters of the petition question why a professor with these affiliations and views is employed at Rutgers, pointing to his prior dismissal from Dartmouth University over endorsements of violent tactics.
“This is the kind of rhetoric that resulted in Charlie Kirk being assassinated last month,” the petition states.
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The first U.S. group to use “antifa” in its moniker was the Rose City Antifa in Portland, Oregon, in 2007.
While the petition stresses the importance of free speech and the First Amendment, its organizers argue that Bray’s history and public statements cross a line and may endanger members of the campus community.
Rutgers student Megyn Doyle, who is leading the effort to have Bray removed, told Fox News that free speech is important but should not be used to promote political violence or label individuals as fascists, as she says Bray’s book does.
“While the tactics discussed in his work are commonly associated with antifa, I want to be clear: I do not support or condone death threats, harassment, or doxxing — against anyone, including Mark Bray,” she said. “A university professor publicly supported and helped fund a violent extremist movement, authored material advocating for political violence, and promoted tactics that suppress open debate and free expression.”
Rutgers faculty unions stand in solidarity
In response to the petitions, the Rutgers AAUP-AFT and the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union have issued a joint statement condemning the campaign against Bray. The unions assert that the efforts to have Bray removed from his position are part of a broader trend to suppress academic freedom and target faculty for their political views.
They emphasize that such actions undermine the core values of the university and call for solidarity in defending the rights of faculty members to engage in public scholarship without fear of retribution.
Calls to disband TPUSA chapter
On the other hand, there are calls for TPUSA to disband through a petition, now with more than 4,900 signatures. The organizer argues that TPUSA has promoted messages that divide the community and create an unsafe environment, contributing to threats and harassment that have even prompted a professor to leave the country.
The petition stresses that such activity undermines the university’s values of diversity, inclusion and respect, and that allowing the chapter to operate threatens the safety and well-being of students and faculty.
It urges Rutgers leadership to take decisive action to protect the campus and maintain a learning environment where all members of the community feel secure and valued.
