UCLA canceled in-person classes on Tuesday after a former faculty member and postdoctoral researcher sent a video containing references to a mass shooting and an 800-page manifesto containing “specific threats” to members of the university’s philosophy department on Monday.
Several emails from department heads obtained by the Times inform students and faculty that Matthew Harris has threatened the philosophy department and its staff. In some of the emails sent out throughout Monday evening, department heads recommended switching to virtual learning and several faculty did so, warning students that in-person classes would be cancelled.
A campus notification sent just after midnight said authorities had no “concrete information” that Harris was in California.
“Nevertheless, as a precaution, all courses will be held remotely tomorrow, February 1,” the warning reads. “We will keep you informed of developments.”
Sherrilyn Roush, chair of UCLA’s philosophy department, had told faculty members to avoid holding face-to-face classes “until Harris’ whereabouts are known,” the Daily Bruin reported.
According to an email a philosophy teacher sent to students, the messages from Harris included “a video titled ‘UCLA Philosophy Mass Shooting’ and an 800-page manifesto containing specific threats against some members of our faculty.”
“Given that, we will continue to discuss Zoom until authorities say it’s safe,” the email said. “I will keep you informed of this situation. But I would avoid being near Dodd Hall or the Philosophy School for the time being.”
Reports of Harris’ video and manifesto quickly circulated on social media platforms including Twitter and Reddit, where students and others expressed fear for their safety and criticized officials for failing to notify entire campus.
In many contributions, the students said they were scared and frustrated by what they described as a lack of clear communication from officers.
Steve Ritea, UCLA’s chief media and executive communications officer, said campus police were “aware of a concerning email and posting sent today to some members of the UCLA community who are actively working with out-of-state law enforcement and federal agencies.” “.
Ritea did not provide any further information on Monday evening.
According to an email sent to members of the psychology department and obtained by The Times, UCLA police told a member of the ecology and evolutionary biology department that “we’re not worried about anything happening right now.”
Harris’ YouTube channel contained more than 300 videos, most of which were uploaded on Monday. At midnight, the channel displayed a message stating that the account was terminated.
A video titled “UCLA PHILOSOPHY (MASS SHOOTING)” was released Sunday and contained disturbing imagery, including footage of the 2017 mass shooting at a Las Vegas music festival and clips from the 2003 film “Zero Day,” loosely based on the Columbine based mass shooting at high school.
The Times obtained a partial copy of Harris’ email to UCLA’s philosophy department.
Harris refers to race and uses several profanities. He included links to his manifesto and videos, including the video apparently threatening a mass shooting.
“War is coming,” he wrote. “forward dis [expletive] to our golden-haired Caucasus princess.”
In reviews on bruinwalk.com, a website where students can post anonymous reviews of professors and other staff, two students described Harris’ disturbing and erratic behavior as an instructor.
Harris “is extremely unprofessional and sent his personal pornographic content to a student,” read one review.
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In a separate post, another student described Harris’ class as their least popular at UCLA “ever” and said many students had complained to the department about his behavior.
The student said Harris changed someone’s grade 43 times after the end of the academic quarter and changed their grade three times.
A Spring 2019 newsletter from the philosophy department said Harris would join Duke University as a postdoctoral fellow in philosophy after completing his doctoral thesis.
“He works on the philosophy of race, personal identity and related issues in the philosophy of mind,” the newsletter reads.
Harris was placed on leave last year while campus officials investigated reports that he had sent a student a pornographic video, according to the Daily Bruin. His tenure as a postdoc was scheduled to end in June.
Earlier Monday, students held a sit-in demanding more online learning opportunities as the university virtually reopens classrooms after the start of the winter quarter due to a coronavirus spike caused by the Omicron variant.
The sit-in had nothing to do with Harris’ alleged threats.
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