A University of Kansas professor has been placed on administrative leave after making controversial comments during a recent lecture, where he suggested that men who refuse to vote for a female president should be “lined up and shot.” The professor, Phil Lowcock, serves as the director of international student-athlete support in the university’s Health Sport and Exercise Sciences department.
A video capturing the incident went viral on social media, where Lowcock can be heard saying, “Some males in our society won’t vote for a female president because they think women aren’t smart enough to lead.” He then added, “We can line all those guys up and shoot them,” followed by a sarcastic remark, “Did I say that? Scratch that from the recording. I don’t want the deans hearing that I said that.”
The video sparked widespread outrage on X (formerly Twitter), with many calling for Lowcock to be fired, and some even suggesting criminal charges. “He needs to be fired immediately. It’s bad enough he said it, but then he tried to cover it up,” one user wrote, while another commented, “No calls for violence should be tolerated.”
Following the backlash, the University of Kansas issued a statement, confirming Lowcock had been placed on administrative leave pending investigation. The statement added that the professor “deeply regrets the situation,” clarifying that his intent was to advocate for women’s rights and equality, but acknowledged he expressed it poorly.