In a Tuesday Fox News opinion piece, Tomi Lahren blasted the decision of Mount Holyoke College to place campus police chief Daniel Hect on administrative leave for liking Donald Trump and National Rifle Association (NRA) tweets. The conservative political commentator suggests that Trump’s election exposed the left’s hate and intolerance, arguing against the idea that the president is the root cause of them.
“From the day Trump was elected, the unloving, intolerant, and crybaby left went crazy — Cry-ins, safe spaces, canceled classes, screaming at the sky, pink hat marches, and riots in streets.”
Lahren claims that the left’s intolerance is a reaction to election defeat, suggesting that “they freak out, throw tantrums, and lash out at those who support the president.”
According to the Washington Examiner , Hect’s tweets were dug up and exposed by students, which prompted him to tell them at a forum that he would go through his feed to delete his comments and likes. Hect’s personal views were reportedly the source of “tension and tears,” which pushed him to apologize for his tweets and “any damage they may have caused.” He said that his tweets that referenced building a wall were a “huge mistake.”
Despite Hect’s apology, students of Mount Holyoke received an email from President Sonya Stephens on Wednesday night informing them that he was placed on administrative leave. She took the email to address the concerns of Hect’s ability “to develop the level of trust required to engage in community policing,” which is the reason she cites for his administrative leave.
This is the most awful thing my alma mater, @mtholyoke , has done to date. Daniel Hect has worked for campus police for 30 years. He went out of his way to host events because students were upset that he… wait for it… LIKED TWEETS from @realDonaldTrump . https://t.co/8QaDgYscrJ
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) April 11, 2019
Lahren criticized the decision as well as the students that had an issue with Hect’s tweets.
“Enough is enough. And kids, if you’re old enough to drive a car, vote, and go to college, you’re old enough to hear things you don’t want to hear. Grow up.”
Hoyt has a military background and was the police chief at Denison University in Ohio before he took the position at Mount Holyoke less than two months ago.
Although Mount Holyoke college is not making additional statements regarding its decision, the school’s College Republicans group has criticized the decision and claims that Hoyt received biased treatment.
According to the Washington Examiner , the same students opposed to Hect also complained about the school using its campus for a police academy graduation due to the history of police violence, the interaction between police and marginalized members of society, and the role of police in systems of oppression. Despite their protest, the ceremony went on.
