Penn Professor Deletes Tweet that Called Dr. Ben Carson an Offensive Term

Butler suggested that Carson, a renowned pediatric brain surgeon, should get the “coon of the year” award.

Bulter, whose Twitter account is locked, apparently deleted the tweet attacking Dr. Carson.

Carson added in a separate interview: “I am not opposed to anybody doing whatever they want to do on their private property…” That tweet highlighted a Sports Illustrated article in which Carson championed Americans’ right to fly flags – including the Confederate flag – that other Americans see as a symbol of hate. “But as a general principle, people can do whatever they want on their private property, that’s one of the basic tenets of freedom in America”, reported NBC News.

The word “coon” is an offensive term to slander Africans, deriving from the Portuguese word “barracoos”, which is a hut-like dwelling used to store slaves during auctions, according to Online Etymology.

Both Butler and Carson are black.

In the past, Butler (again, a religious studies professor) has referred to God as a “white racist” who “stalks young black men with guns”.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Professor Justin McDaniel, who chairs the religious studies program at UPenn, about the tweet; he responded by calling Butler a “valued colleague and faculty member”. The Ivy League professor later boasted that she couldn’t be fired for anything she said because she had tenure.