Fired Hunter College Professor Axed Again From New Job: Reports

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A former Hunter College art professor who was arrested last year after being caught on video holding a machete to a New York Post reporter's neck has now been fired from another teaching job, according to multiple reports.

Shellyne Rodriguez, 47, was axed from her most recent position at The Cooper Union, a private science and art college, after she made a social media post aboit "Zionists," Rodrigez said in a Jan. 23 email which was shared on Instagram by the Cooper Union Students for Justice in Palestine.

"This is fascism," Rodriguez wrote in the email, refering to her firing. "Y'all are learning about it in real time ... Stay strong, [stay] brave, stay defiant, don’t bite your tongue, and drink plenty of water! Pa-lante!"

Through it isn't clear exactly which post or posts lead to Rodriguez getting fired from The Cooper Union, one post from Rodriguez's private Instragram account, which was archived and shared by The New York Post, shows a cockroach-covered flyer promoting a pro-Israel event.

She also participated last month in a CUNY for Palestine virtual panel, during which she discussed boycotting rent payments to Jewish landlords or landlords who supported Israel, Fox News reported.

Rodriguez went viral in 2023 for cursing out a group of pro-life students handing out information about abortion at Hunter College. The machete incident occurred after a Post reporter visited Rodriguez's apartment to seek comment, according to the Post.

Following the incident, Rodriguez was fired from Hunter College, pleaded guilty to harassment and menacing, and was ordered to complete a therapy program. However, if she is successful, she can withdraw the misdemeanor plea and will be sentenced on the violation to a conditional discharge, the Post reported, citing the district attorney.

A media representative for The Cooper Union told Patch Monday afternoon that they do not "provide comment on personnel matters."