Professor fired for holding machete to journalist’s throat

Shellyne Rodriguez was fired by Hunter College hours after the New York Post published images of her holding a long bladed weapon to the neck of a reporter

A college professor who held a machete to the throat of a New York Post reporter has been fired.

A Hunter College spokesperson confirmed the university had dismissed Shellyne Rodriguez after a video emerged showing her holding a long blade to the throat of Post journalist Reuven Fenton outside her apartment.

Ms Rodriguez then followed the reporter and a photographer down the street with the machete, a video published by The Post shows.

The journalists had gone to the visual artist’s Bronx apartment to speak to her about a viral video which showed her criticising anti-abortion protesters on the campus of the City University of New York.

The Post claimed that Ms Rodriguez shouted at the pair to get away from her door “or I'm going chop you up with this machete”.

She allegedly held a machete to the reporter’s throat after opening the door, and then pursued them after they left.

Shellyne Rodriguez was fired by Hunter College after video showed her holding a machete to the neck of a New York Post reporter (Mason Gross School of the Arts)

College spokesman Vince DiMiceli told The Post: “Hunter College strongly condemns the unacceptable actions of Shellyne Rodriguez and has taken immediate action.

“Rodriguez has been relieved of her duties at Hunter College effective immediately, and will not be returning to teach at the school.”

Ms Rodriguez had been filmed confronting anti-abortion activists from Students for Life of America at the college’s New York campus earlier this month.

“You’re not educating s***, this is f***ing propaganda,” Ms Rodriguez, an adjunct assistant professor, said in the viral clip.

The Independent did not immediately hear back after making inquiries with Hunter College, The Post, and the NYPD.

Ms Rodriguez has also been contacted for comment.

On her personal website, Ms Rodriguez describes herself as a visual artist, writer and community organiser, who works on “strategies of survival against erasure and subjugation.”