College posts video of student blasting Rittenhouse verdict, accusing him of 'murdering ... two beautiful black lives' — except Rosenbaum and Huber were white



James Madison University on its official Instagram account shared a video featuring a student not only decrying the verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse case but also accusing Rittenhouse of "murdering ... two beautiful black lives."

Which is quite a feat considering the pair he fatally shot in self defense amid rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year — Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber — were as white as Rittenhouse.

What are the details?

Tina Ramirez — founder of religious freedom nonprofit Hardwired Global and a Republican congressional candidate in Virginia, Fox News said — shared the video from James Madison's Instagram page on Twitter.

The video as seen on Ramirez's Twitter page begins with what appears to be an introduction of a student documentary about a "day in the life of Deaquan Nichols." Nichols, a student, narrates the video.

The clip cuts to Nichols decrying last week's Rittenhouse verdict — not guilty on all five counts against him.

"All the protesting, everything we went through in 2020, we really think would make a change, but clearly it doesn't," Nichols said. "We scream 'Black Lives Matter,' but it doesn't matter enough for these people who are in power — the jury, the judge, anybody — to charge this man with murdering and taking away two beautiful black lives at the ripe ages of 26 and 36. It's disgusting."

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @TinaRamirezVA

Nichols doesn't mention the names of Huber and Rosenbaum, but they were the only two people Rittenhouse fatally shot, and they were 26 and 36, respectively. Rittenhouse also shot and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, who testified he pointed a gun at Rittenhouse's head before Rittenhouse shot him in the right bicep. Grosskreutz also is white.

Here's the clip:

JMU is a publicly funded university that is now pushing political propaganda and misinformation from their social media accounts. \n\nJMU\u2019s actions are unethical, as Kyle Rittenhouse was found innocent, and dangerous, as the post pushes false info that could lead to violence. 2/2
— Tina Ramirez (@Tina Ramirez) 1637360228

Ramirez wrote in her Twitter posts that she received the clip from a JMU alum and that the clip is "now deleted." She added that JMU "is a publicly funded university that is now pushing political propaganda and misinformation from their social media accounts" and that the school's "actions are unethical, as Kyle Rittenhouse was found innocent, and dangerous, as the post pushes false info that could lead to violence."

Ramirez added to Fox News that it was "egregious" of JMU to allow the video which broadcasted "blatant misinformation" on the school's Instagram platform.

What did James Madison U. have to say?

A JMU spokeswoman told Fox News that the video in question was part of its "student takeovers" on social media platforms that are "an opportunity for our audiences to learn about student activities and research."

College spokeswoman Mary-Hope Vass added to the cable network that "one of yesterday's takeovers went into the personal opinion and viewpoints of a student, which are not necessarily reflective of the university. The video expressing this opinion was removed from the university's social media account."

Anything else?

The Rittenhouse verdict led to other controversial pronouncements from James Madison University.

The school's department of chemistry and biochemistry said in a pair of Saturday tweets that "it is hard to focus on science if you are worried you might be legally shot or run over at a protest. It is hard to focus on science if you are worried your loved ones might be killed getting Skittles, or selling cigarettes, or playing with a toy gun, or sitting in their apartment, or jogging, or wearing a hoodie," referencing the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Martin once more.

"It's hard to focus on science if you're worried you might get deported or if your human rights depend on the outcome of an election. The fight for justice *is* a fight for science," the department added.

sitting in their apartment, or jogging, or wearing a hoodie. It's hard to focus on science if you're worried you might get deported or if your human rights depend on the outcome of an election. The fight for justice *is* a fight for science. /fin
— JMU Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry (@JMU Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry) 1637418136

"Yes, we are exhausted, but some people do not have the privilege of bowing out," the department added in another tweet. "So, we must be relentless in our pursuit of a just and equitable society."

The department also shared a video from Peacock channel host Amber Ruffin in which she claimed the Rittenhouse not guilty verdict shows that "the judicial system [is] blatantly and obviously stacked against people of color," Fox News added.

In case you needed to be reminded of this after today's verdict.pic.twitter.com/CufF7l3vtw
— amber ruffin (@amber ruffin) 1637371967

Ramirez fired back against the tweets, telling the cable network that "to see that the school's chemistry department would then double down with more politicized rhetoric is beyond the pale. In their posts they say 'it's hard to focus on chemistry,' but that is literally their job and what parents are paying thousands of dollars in tuition fees expect them to do. This is why I've been so adamant that we need to make school about education again. We should be teaching students how to think critically, not what to think politically."

McAuliffe spokesperson Renzo Olivari apologizes for past offensive tweets: 'I am ashamed and I profoundly regret what I tweeted'



Renzo Olivari, a spokesperson for Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, has apologized for past Twitter posts.

"Terry McAuliffe's comms guy kinda sounds like a racist," Arthur Schwartz tweeted, along with images of two 2012 tweets from Olivari.

One tweet said "#TweetLikeAGuy going out with da nigguhs" and another said "#ThingsBlackFolksNeverThrowAway broken lamps."

Terry McAuliffe’s comms guy kinda sounds like a racist. https://t.co/7IE32ECWGE

— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) 1635545330.0

Fox News reported that the tweets have been deleted, but the outlet said it obtained screenshots prior to when the tweets were taken down.

"As a person of color, I have tried to live my whole life fighting for communities like mine," Olivari said in a statement to the outlet. "When I was in high school student, I tweeted things that were clearly unacceptable."

He also noted, "I am ashamed and I profoundly regret what I tweeted. I take full responsibility and I want to profoundly apologize and use this as a moment to grow and learn from my mistakes. I will continue working to fight for communities like mine in every way that I can."

Olivari's Twitter bio says he does "Comms for @TerryMcAuliffe." He also describes himself as an "Alum of @JoeBiden , @Mike2020 , @KamalaHarris , @NVDems , @VADemocrats , & @JMU."

McAuliffe, who previously served as governor of Virginia from early 2014 until early 2018, is aiming to defeat Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin during the state's gubernatorial election on Tuesday next week.

James Madison University trains students that Christians, white males are 'oppressors': Report



Student employees at James Madison University are being trained to believe that straight white males and Christians are "oppressors" engaging in the "systematic subjugation" of other groups, according to a new report.

Fox News obtained documents from training sessions at the Virginia university that are reportedly required for student employees to watch. The training video on social justice and inclusion was for student staff who were in charge of incoming freshman orientations.

The 25-minute video begins with a coordinator and assistant director introducing themselves by sharing their preferred pronouns, race, gender, sexuality, and economic class. The assistant director informs the audience on the training video that she is a white cisgender woman from a middle-class background who is bisexual and temporarily able-bodied.

The JMU training video, which is titled "Social Justice: An Introduction," separates social groups into two categories: "Privileged" and "Oppressed." The report noted that training considered the "privileged" group to be people who identify as male, cisgender, heterosexual, heteroromantic, Christian, White, Western European, American, upper- to middle-class, thin/athletic build, able-bodied, or ages 30s to early 50s.

The "oppressed" group purportedly includes people who identify as Black, Asian, Latinx, non-Western European, LGBTQ+, homoromantic, Muslim, Jewish, working class, overweight, or disabled.

The "oppressed" or "target" groups "take in and internalize the negative messages about them and end up cooperating with the oppressors (thinking and acting like them)."

Privilege is defined as the "unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group at the expense of targeted groups."

Student employees were reportedly taught that oppression is "the systematic subjugation of one social group by a more powerful social group for the social, economic and political benefit of the more powerful social group."

Once the training was completed, student employees reportedly received an email instructing them to "not share these materials with others."

A spokesperson for James Madison University reportedly said the training is for staff who work in the Office of Student Affairs and are welcoming new students who "might have a different background than their own."

"The training was held to help ensure that every student guide for freshmen orientation had the tools and understanding to work with incoming students, who might have a different background than their own," the university statement read. "At JMU, we strive to create an inclusive and welcoming community for all students. We also seek feedback on the training to constantly work on improving how we communicate and train student staff members."