A professor at William Paterson University in New Jersey was captured on video telling students that the Irish were the first slaves in America.
In a series of videos posted on Twitter, sociology professor Clyde Magarelli also made other controversial comments, which included deflating the number of Jews who died in the Holocaust and denying the moon landings, reported Newsweek.
The belief that the Irish were the first slaves in America has been disputed by Irish experts who have said that the indentured servitude of the Irish was not in the same category as slavery.
Read More: Many Confederate Irish owned slaves during the American Civil War
The videos were posted by Benny Koval, 18, a student in Magarelli’s Social Problems course.
Racist Professor Magarelli @wpunj_edu is a proud historical revisionist.
— benny ☭ ✡️ (@bennykoval) June 2, 2018
In this video, he conflates chattel slavery with indentured servitude, then claims Irish-Catholics were the first slaves in the U.S.. pic.twitter.com/11BDAEbqbH
"It was very unfortunate, but most of all it was a waste of my time and money," Koval 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."
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
Koval also sent a letter to the head of the Sociology Department regarding comments made by Magarelli, who has been a teacher at the college since 1967. She says she was told that another student had filed a complaint against the teacher last year.
Read More: Why the Irish were both slaves and indentured servants in colonial America
University officials said they were investigating Koval's complaint.
"A review of this matter is underway to determine what action may be warranted," said Mary Beth Zeman, a university spokeswoman.
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