Amherst College Student Faces Harassment, Death Threats After Article Critical of DEI
A student at Amherst College has reported facing harassment and death threats after publishing an article criticizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in academia.
Jeb Allen, president of the Amherst College Conservatives Club, published an article in the college newspaper titled “Academia Needs Uncomfortable, Unpopular, but Necessary Debates on DEI,” arguing that academia has failed in fostering sincere dialogue. Since its publication, Allen says he has received “hundreds of personal attacks,” including claims that he is “inherently inferior” to his liberal peers due to his political beliefs.
Allen described being harassed in the dining hall, stalked, filmed, and even receiving a death threat. On the anonymous social media platform Fizz, posts included statements such as, “Dragging Jeb Allen on Fizz isn’t enough, I need a gunshot,” “Any white male who is not gay or trans is poison” and “Whoever this Trump supporter is should be found and shot.” Some of these posts received hundreds of upvotes.
“Although this situation has been personally challenging, it is just the tip of the iceberg at elite institutions like Amherst,” Allen said. “Students frequently claim that ‘merit is a euphemism for white supremacy’ and that before debating DEI, conservatives must first explain why they believe Black people are incompetent. This creates an environment making civil discourse impossible, as any critiques are white supremacy or a reflection of our bigotry.”
He acknowledged that Amherst College faculty and administration have been supportive, including issuing a statement condemning the harassment. However, he argued that intolerance toward conservatives remains pervasive at the university.
“Academia’s student bodies have become increasingly intolerant of conservatives, viewing us as inherently inferior, less intelligent, and morally bankrupt. The persecution of conservatives is a daily reality here—no matter how moderate or pragmatic one’s views may be,” he said.
Allen also described experiences of discrimination, saying he was publicly labeled a “gun-loving conservative who worked for Ron DeSantis” in regard to his time as a Florida Senate Page. He also was accused of harassment by a student he had never spoken to. Allen was even reported to the Title IX Office for allegedly “non-verbally making himself present” in the dining hall.
He said that students in class have openly called conservatives “racist, inbred morons,” and that conservative students are regularly ostracized.
“Students who are even suspected of being conservative—let alone openly Republican—are socially ostracized and harassed. Despite the hostility, I have remained committed to a higher standard,” Allen said.
Allen, who is the only conservative writer for the campus newspaper, explained he has firsthand experience with what it means to be a conservative in academia. Despite this, he has affirmed the notion that conservatives should continue to be present in academic institutions.
“I strongly disagree with the notion that conservatives should avoid elite institutions,” he argued. “Instead, I believe we should attend them, conduct ourselves respectfully, and challenge the status quo through dialogue and leadership. When conservatives behave with dignity and the left exposes its own intolerance, people begin to question the dominant ideology.”
