Controversial Vanderbilt Professor Carol Swain to Retire

NASHVILLE, TN — Controversial conservative Vanderbilt University law and political science professor Carol Swain will retire in August, according to her web site.

"Effective August 15, 2017, I will retire from my position as professor of political science and professor of law at Vanderbilt University. Retirement for me will not mean a rocking chair. It will be an opportunity for me to impact more people across the globe. I am confident God will place me where I can have the greatest impact," Swain wrote. "What will I do next? I anticipate spending my time writing, speaking, and making myself available for my next assignment. Of course, I will miss the students and the rhythm of campus, but I will not miss what American universities have allowed themselves to become."

Swain, who came to Vanderbilt in 1999 after a previous teaching stint at Princeton, has drawn fire for, among other things, suggesting that tragedies at Vanderbilt may have been connected to increased godlessness on campus, saying that Black Lives Matter is "a very destructive force," and that Islam "poses an absolute danger to us and our children."

In 2015, students began a Change.org petition calling for Swain's ouster. Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos defended Swain's right to express her opinion and, at the same time, the university took steps to emphasize that her opinions were her own and not reflective of Vanderbilt itself.