University Fires Professor Who Said Texas Deserved Hurricane Harvey Because It Voted Republican

Don’t mess with Twitter. A University of Tampa assistant sociology professor was fired after he suggested Hurricane Harvey is retribution for Texans who voted for the GOP in a tweet Sunday night, the Tampa Bay Times

In the since-deleted post, Kenneth L. Storey stated, “I don’t believe in instant karma but this kinda feels like it for Texas. Hopefully this will help them realize the GOP doesn’t care about them.”

Along with a barrage of acerbic messages aimed at him online, including some from those purporting to be fellow Floridians and University of Tampa students, the school itself took a strong stance against his views, firing him as of Tuesday, according to a statement posted on the University’s website.

“We condemn the comments and the sentiment behind them, and understand the pain this irresponsible act has caused,” university spokesman Eric Cardenas said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times. “As Floridians, we are well aware of the destruction and suffering associated with tropical weather.”

After deleting his original message, the former Orlando Weekly writer went back to Twitter to apologize Monday.

“I deeply regret a statement I posted yesterday,” he tweeted. “I never meant to wish ill will upon any group. I hope all affected by Harvey recover quickly.”

Ironically, Harris County, which includes the devastated city of Houston, went for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, along with the counties of Dallas, Bexar, Travis, El Paso, Hidalgo and Fort Bend.

The Mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, is also a member of the Democratic Party.