The taxpayer-funded professor who decided it would be a good idea to spout that he would “be ok if” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos “was sexually assaulted” has now resigned from his teaching job — after resigning from another job — and also apologized profusely.
The professor is Robert Ranco. Until his resignation, he served as a paralegal studies adjunct professor at Austin Community College.
“I’m not wishing for it… but I’d be ok if #BetsyDeVos was sexually assaulted,” read a now-deleted tweet which Ranco composed on Friday.
He added the hashtags #SexualAssault and #TitleIX for emphasis.
He also defended himself in a second, also-deleted tweet: “Yes, @twitter. My words were harsh. I don’t wish harm on anyone. I wish there’s some way #BetsyDevos would understand and care about others.”
He then doubled down a second time, writing: “Twitter trolls are now due process experts! Priceless. #TitleIX.”
This tweet also disappeared.
On Wednesday, Ranco extensively apologized for the offending tweet and the subsequents tweet defending the first one, reports Campus Reform.
“I made comments directed at you that were absolutely inexcusable, and I am sorry for that,” a humbled and subdued Ranco said. “I may disagree with your policies, but please know that I don’t believe anyone should ever be subjected to a sexual assault.”
“I tweeted something mean and crass and completely insensitive to all victims of sexual assault,” Ranco also tweeted on Wednesday, noting the thick irony that has resulted because he believes “we need to better protect people.”
Another Ranco tweet said: “I certainly don’t deserve your forgiveness for what I said. I know I would have a hard time forgiving someone who directed something like that at a member of my own family.”
Ranco resigned from his faculty position at Austin Community College this week.
School officials had already distanced themselves from the offensive tweets.
“The college does not condone these comments and their sentiment,” an Austin Community College representative told Campus Reform earlier this week.
“The college never condones sexual assault under any circumstance,” school officials also said.
Ranco, who is primarily an attorney, also resigned from his legal job at The Carlson Law Firm earlier this week after speaking with the firm’s founder, Craig Carlson.
“I wasn’t going to make a rash decision about a member of this family just to appease people on social media,” Carlson told Austin Fox affiliate KTBC. “That said, I considered the health of everyone in our organization, promised my partners and my employees that we would act according to the values of our firm and sat down to speak with Mr. Ranco.” (RELATED: Professor Resigns Law Firm Job After Tweeting ‘I’d Be Ok If’ DeVos Was ‘Sexually Assaulted’)
The Carlson Law Firm specializes in a number of practice areas including personal injury, medical malpractice, bankruptcy and nursing home injury.
Ranco’s ill-advised Twitter rampage came after DeVos announced last week that the Department of Education will stop pressuring colleges to trample on the due process rights of students accused of rape or other sexual assault.
A new policy — which is still in the works — will focus on giving people accused of serious crimes due process and fair treatment in disciplinary hearings.
“The rights of one person can never be paramount to the rights of another,” DeVos said in a speech on the issue last week, noting that parties in sexual misconduct cases often could not appeal decisions and stating that it is “no wonder” these institutions are called “kangaroo courts.” (RELATED: Secretary DeVos Slams ‘Shameful’ Obama-Era Campus Sexual Assault Policy)
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