Professor Risks His Job to Enforce In-Class Mask Mandate; Slams University Administration For ‘Irresponsible Failure’ to Provide for a Safe Campus

University of Georgia mathematics professor Joseph Fu is requiring students to wear masks in his classroom in defiance of university policy, telling CNN’s Pamela Brown that he was willing to be fired over the issue.

Brown reported that UGA policy was to allow professors to request masks, but did not allow them to require students to wear them. “You’ve been warned could you face disciplinary action,” she asked Fu. “Are you willing to be fired over this?”

“Certainly,” he replied, calling it a “responsibility” that he felt that he had as a tenured professor. “I’m a person who’s quite privileged in this setting. I feel that, as a tenured professor, I have a responsibility to my institution, not simply to my bosses, to act in its interest.”

Fu had written his mask mandate into his class syllabus, and told Brown that he had done so because many of his colleagues felt similarly to him, had seen a “very low rate of masking in their classes,” despite the university administration’s claims that they had a “strong encouragement of masking.”

His untenured colleagues, Fu explained, felt they were in a “precarious position,” and did not feel professionally it would be safe for them to issue such a requirement in their own classes.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Fu provided masks for students if they arrived at class without them, and also recorded his lectures and shared the videos over Zoom.

“Based on my readings of the situation in our classroom, on campus, and in the community, I reserve the right to cancel all face to face meetings and conduct all class business over zoom,” Fu wrote in a message to his students. “I understand that zoom is not ideal, and will not take this step lightly.”

Fu told Brown that while he was realist that he was just one person, he was hoping that he could “be a model” for his colleagues and others in the educational system.

He sharply denounced the UGA administration for their “irresponsible failure to step up and risk their own massive paychecks” to provide for a safe campus through measures like vaccine and mask mandates. Instead, he said, “they place our entire community, not just the university community, but the Athens community, in great jeopardy,” referring to the Georgia town where UGA is located.

Brown pointed out that the administration had said that they were following the guidance from their state government. Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) has repeatedly voiced his opposition to vaccine and mask mandates.

“To me,” said Fu, “there comes a point where you have to stand for justice,” when laws or regulations become “immoral,” then “it is necessary to defy them.”

“I’m just one little guy, teaching a couple little classes.” said Fu. “I’m doing what I can.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.