Bergin Community College professor Francis Schmidt was suspended without pay earlier this year over a seemingly threatening Game of Thrones quote written on a T-shirt, and posted on the Internet.
NBC New York reports the photo shows Schmidt’s daughter wearing a shirt with the phrase, “"I will take what is mine with fire & blood," from the popular HBO series. The professor was then asked to meet with administrators after the post was seen by one of the college deans.
An email later received by Schmidt informed him, "You are not to be on campus for any reason. The safety of all of the members of the community is taken very seriously."
According to Inside Higher Ed, Schmidt believes the whole fiasco was instigated after he filed a grievance against the New Jersey school for denying him a sabbatical. Just last week, the university’s faculty union filed a vote of no confidence in the leadership of President Kay Walters.
One union member states, “There’s a lot of outrage at what the faculty perceive as a toxic climate in the management and lack of a collegial relationship.”
Schmidt had to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before resuming his teaching responsibilities.