Carnegie Mellon Reviews Uju Anya’s Social Media Posts After Backlash

Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, United States, is reviewing recent social media posts by Nigerian-born academic Dr Uju Anya following intense online backlash over messages attributed to her.

The university said Anya, an associate professor of second-language acquisition, was currently on voluntary professional leave and was not teaching courses on campus during the 2026 academic year.

It said it was “deeply concerned” by recent posts it described as hostile and threatening and was reviewing the matter closely.

Carnegie Mellon also clarified that the posts did not represent the university’s position, saying they were contrary to its community standards and values and its commitment to maintaining a safe, respectful and welcoming campus.

The controversy intensified after screenshots circulated online showing an exchange in which Anya allegedly responded to a social media user who questioned her comments about the death of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.

The user challenged Anya over what they described as celebrating the deaths of white people, to which she allegedly responded with a statement wishing the user dead.

Her X account was subsequently no longer accessible, although it was not independently confirmed whether she deactivated the account herself or why it became unavailable.

The university did not specify all the posts under review or confirm whether the circulating screenshot was among them. It also did not announce any suspension, dismissal or other disciplinary action against Anya.

The latest controversy has revived memories of a 2022 incident involving Anya, when she attracted international criticism after posting hostile comments about the late Queen Elizabeth II shortly before her death.

Anya later explained that her comments were linked to the legacy of British colonialism and the Nigerian Civil War, saying the conflict had profoundly affected her family.

As of the time of the report, Anya had not publicly responded to Carnegie Mellon’s statements or the latest backlash.