The disgraced African history professor who lied about being black will not teach this semester at George Washington University, school officials announced Friday — as her fellow faculty members urged she leave for good.
Jessica Krug’s colleagues said they “are shocked and appalled” by her lying about her identity.
“She has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students, fellow scholars of Africana Studies, colleagues in our department and throughout the historical discipline, as well as community activists in New York City and beyond,” the university’s history department said in a joint statement.
“The discipline of history is concerned with truth telling about the past,” the statement said.
“With her conduct, Dr. Krug has raised questions about the veracity of her own research and teaching.”
The statement ends with Krug’s colleagues calling on her to resign.
“Failing that, the department recommends the rescinding of her tenure and the termination of her appointment,” it concludes.
Krug had admitted in a Medium post on Thursday that she had lied about her blackness and was actually white and Jewish.
“Many of you understandably have many questions in the wake of the Medium post by GW faculty member Jessica Krug,” the University said in a statement.
“While the university reviews this situation, Dr. Krug will not be teaching her classes this semester,” the statement said.
Krug’s fate remains unclear at the university, where she has taught an introductory-level history class and advanced courses on African studies.
“We are working on developing a number of options for students in those classes, which will be communicated to affected students as soon as possible,” said the statement, which was signed by M. Brian Blake, the provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, and Paul Wahlbeck, the dean of the school’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.
“We want to acknowledge the pain this situation has caused for many in our community and recognize that many students, faculty, staff and alumni are hurting,” they said.
Krug, 38, had outted herself as a “culture leech” in her Medium post, which was titled “The Truth, and the Anti-Black Violence of My Lies.”
“For the better part of my adult life, every move I’ve made, every relationship I’ve formed, has been rooted in the napalm toxic soil of lies,” she wrote, adding that she has taken on several different racial identities over the years.
“To an escalating degree over my adult life, I have eschewed my lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City under various assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness,” she went on.
“I have built my life on a violent anti-Black lie, and I have lied in every breath I have taken.”
Students at the university expressed outrage over the announcement, with some going as far to say they would like to be reimbursed for their classes they took with Krug.
“In my ‘Afro Latinx History’ class, Jessica Krug discussed dynamics of white scholars engaging in black studies,” wrote Lena Haime on Twitter. “She really had the audacity pull up an image of the white woman who won an award over her, illustrating how black scholars are often overlooked in the academy. LOL.”
Some praised George Washington for acting quickly, but others felt the university had not gone far enough.
“Another day, another WEAK ASS pathetic response from this university,” one complained on Twitter.
“Basically she’s not fired… at least not for now,” wrote Rebecca Enonchong.