School officials at William Paterson University are reviewing videos that show a professor telling students the moon landing was faked and promoting other conspiracy theories including denying aspects of the Holocaust.
Freshman student Benny Koval, of Fair Lawn, says she raised concerns after sociology professor Clyde Magarelli said things in his “Social Problems” class that she says made her and others uncomfortable. Magarelli — who has taught at the publicly-funded William Paterson since 1967 — did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Wednesday.
One video shows Magarelli telling students that landing someone on the moon was impossible.
“We can’t land on it and get back. We’ve never landed on it, you didn’t know that?” he says in one clip.
Never in my life did I imagine myself tweeting “my Sociology professor thinks the moon landing was faked”, but here we are.
Clyde Magarelli presents unfounded conspiracy theories as facts at our public university, @wpunj_edu. pic.twitter.com/UpkmOc3Pxu
— benny ☭ ✡ (@bennykoval) June 2, 2018
Magarelli also claims that the Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany, only engaged in torture during the “last part of the war.”
More holocaust denialism from Professor Magarelli @wpunj_edu!
He claims the Gestapo was not a terrorist force for the majority of its existence… as if it’s possible to be literal Nazi Germany and not a terrorist. pic.twitter.com/YLzphAjIA6
— benny ☭ ✡ (@bennykoval) June 2, 2018
“It was very unfortunate, but most of all it was a waste of my time and money,” the 18-year-old told NorthJersey.com. “It was incredibly frustrating going to a public university for a taxpayer-funded education and I’m learning about how the moon landing was faked.”
So guys. Check out your professors online before taking their classes. 😭
Professor Magarelli wasted my time and money at @wpunj_edu.
Countless other students were robbed.(https://t.co/LeZ5V2CA0X) pic.twitter.com/fImTMNdO3Y
— benny ☭ ✡ (@bennykoval) June 2, 2018
Koval, who is Jewish, posted other instances in which Magarelli makes offensive remarks about Native Americans, the Irish and abortion.
University officials said Tuesday they are looking into the complaint and videos. Koval says she was told Magarelli previously had complaints filed against him.
The school’s student newspaper reported in 1994 that the university was investigating Magarelli after he allegedly made claims in class that sharply minimized the death toll from Nazi concentration camps. He said a more “realistic” number was 700,000 to 800,000. The actual number is around 6 million.
After Professor Magarelli’s cover was blown during a 1994 controversy in which he engaged in holocaust denial/revision and targeted anti-Semitism, he continued teaching at @wpunj_edu.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! pic.twitter.com/9pU9ZywpIu
— benny ☭ ✡ (@bennykoval) June 2, 2018
(YWN / AP)
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2 Responses
But we were told by the naysayers commenting here, that a Ben Torah going to Colleges & Universities was a good thing. Hmmmm.
@not getting involved
There is one crazy professor in one school, obviously no one should go to college!!!! Does that make sense? Or does it make more sense that maybe some people should go get an education and a good job to support those in learning?