A professor at a New York City college has been fired after threatening a reporter with a machete outside her home during an attempted interview on abortion rights, according to the New York Post.
Shellyne Rodriguez, a former adjunct assistant professor of art at Hunter College in New York City, is accused of holding the weapon against the neck of a New York Post reporter on Tuesday as he attempted to speak with her outside her Bronx apartment, video published by the outlet shows.
Accompanied by a photographer from the outlet, journalist Reuven Fenton said he was requesting an interview with Rodriguez after she was caught destroying a student group’s anti-abortion display earlier this month, according to Fenton’s co-bylined story published in the Post.
“Get the (expletive) away from my door, or I’m gonna chop you up with this machete!” the Post reported Rodriguez shouted from behind her closed door after Fenton identified himself as a journalist.
Seconds later, the outlet reported Rodriguez barged out holding the weapon.
“Get away from my door,” footage shot by the Post shows Rodriguez saying as she holds the machete to the reporter’s neck, then returns into her apartment.
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Fenton wrote he and his colleague immediate left the building but Rodriguez followed them outside and continued to threaten them, still armed with the large blade.
Fenton also wrote Rodriguez kicked the reporter in the shins on the street.
‘A bit of surprise’
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity this week, Fenton called the attack “a bit of a surprise.”
“We just wanted to speak to this woman,” he told the host. “We thought we might have a chance given that she’s obviously passionate about her beliefs and maybe if we showed up to her door, she’d be willing to grant us an interview. This was a first for me.”
‘Unacceptable actions’
Hunter College did not immediately respond to USA TODAY Thursday morning but the New York Post reported Vince DiMiceli, a spokesperson for the school, said Rodriguez had been fired.
“Hunter College strongly condemns the unacceptable actions of Shellyne Rodriguez and has taken immediate action,” DeMiceil told the outlet.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
