Mesa College Fires Professor Who Promoted QAnon Conspiracy Theory
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Students said the composition class was “weird” because “you have politics being spouted at you for an hour instead of being taught actual English stuff.”
An English professor at Arizona’s Mesa Community College was fired after he drew national media attention for promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory in class, showing students a 14-minute video about the far-right belief in a secret cabal of pedophiles who run the world. Adjunct Prof. Douglas Belmore announced his dismissal on Twitter on Sunday, and a spokesperson for the school confirmed it to the Phoenix New Times. Belmore said in class that he subscribed to the theory that a group of Satanic and cannibalistic pedophiles has infiltrated the United States government. According to one student, Belmore said “that Q is actually JFK Jr. and he just faked his death.” Students told the newspaper that Belmore was “just babbling, basically” and that the class was “chill” but also “weird” because “you have politics being spouted at you for an hour instead of being taught actual English stuff.” When questioned by a reporter about why he showed the QAnon video in an English composition class, Belmore said: “I think I only have one response to give you. It’s a question and it’s three words. Who is Q?” A substitute instructor took over Belmore’s class on Aug. 27, a student told the New Times.
