Rutgers University Professor Detained by NYPD and Given Psych Evaluation After Tweeting Criticisms of Donald Trump

Kevin Allred, who teaches at Rutgers, says that his Twitter account was also temporarily suspended over tweets criticizing Trump.

November 16, 2016

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Complex Original

A Rutgers University professor tweeted Tuesday night that NYPD officers came to his home then detained him over tweets he sent and statements he made on campus that were critical of president-elect Donald Trump. Kevin Allred, who teaches women's and gender studies at Rutgers, says that his Twitter account was also temporarily suspended over one of the tweets he sent.

Allred tweeted Tuesday, "NYPD just came to my house bc Rutgers Police told them I'm a threat based on political statements I've made on campus and on Twitter."

Allred, who has described himself as a queer feminist and garnered some national attention for teaching a course on Beyoncé and politics, sent off a series of tweets about being detained, including that he was given a psychiatric evaluation at the hospital.

Allred tweeted that after he was allowed to leave the hospital, the incident with the police was "proof positive Trump's crackdown on free speech has absolutely begun."

Allred also wrote that the physician he saw criticised the decision to have him evaluated:

Continuing the narrative of events, Allred said the tweets that reportedly caused concern among University Police were about burning the American flag (a legal activity) and asking if the second amendment would be as big of a hot button issue for conservatives if white people were killed by guns at higher rates than people of color.

The NYPD tells Complex over email they "were informed by Rutgers PD that [Allred] made threats to kill white people" and confirms that Allred was "taken to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation."

"The Rutgers University Police Department responded to a complaint from a student and took all appropriate action," a spokesperson for Rutgers tells Complex over email.

"I'm not intimidated. I won't be," Allred tweeted, also acknowledging that as a white man, he doesn't bear the worst brunt of police intimidation.