Harvard Resident Dean Faces Scrutiny for Defending Online Commenters Who Threatened Trump

In a series of controversial social media posts, a Harvard University resident dean has defended online trolls expressing death wishes towards former President Trump, while simultaneously criticizing “Whiteness” as an ideology he deems self-destructive. Gregory Davis, who currently serves as a resident dean at Harvard, made these remarks on the platform X back in 2020, shortly after Trump announced his COVID-19 diagnosis.

In one post, Davis bluntly stated, “F— that guy,” in reference to Trump, just a day after the president disclosed his illness. He further elaborated in the same thread, expressing that he could understand why some would wish harm upon Trump.

Adding to the incendiary nature of his comments, Davis shared a gif from the movie Rocky IV, featuring the character Ivan Drago with the cold remark, “If he dies, he dies.” These posts, which have since sparked controversy, were brought to light by Yard Report, a conservative blog operating within Harvard’s community.

It’s noteworthy that Davis wrote these posts before he assumed his current role as the resident dean of Dunster House in July 2024. The revelation of these sentiments has ignited discussions around the intersection of free speech, responsibility, and the professional conduct expected from academic leaders.

The disturbing posts were uncovered by Yard Report, a conservative blog at Harvard, and are dated before Davis became a resident dean of Dunster House in July 2024.

Before that, Davis taught critical race theory at UCLA and “Gender Identity Law” at Southwestern Law School, according to his LinkedIn.

“It’s almost like Whiteness is a self-destructive ideology that annihilates everyone around it. By design,” Davis wrote on X in 2019.

As a resident advisor at Harvard, Davis is responsible for students personally or academically, according to his bio page. He is currently on parental leave.

Davis also encouraged students who are “Black or otherwise of color, queer, neurodivergent (ADHD), first-generation, a public high school graduate, from a low-income background, or from urban areas,” to reach out to him for advice.

Screenshots published by Yard Report from 2020 also show Davis encouraging violent riots and calling police officers “evil”.

“You should ask your cop friends to quit since they’re racist and evil,” he wrote on X.

“Rioting and looting are parts of democracy just like voting and marching,” he wrote in another post.

Davis has deleted his X and Instagram accounts and issued an apology.

“These posts do not reflect my current thinking or beliefs,” said Davis in an email sent to residents of Dunster House, acquired by the conservative substack The Harvard Salient.

“I apologize for this disruption,” Davis wrote, adding that he looks forward to returning in January.