Fresno State lecturer faces criticism after social media posts show Trump in coffin

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno State lecturer is now under fire for social media posts showing President Trump in a coffin.

"It's the fact that she states our president was dead and that Republicans were dead," Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld told Action News.

He is criticizing Katherine Shurik, highlighting a Facebook post in which Shurik appeared to wish death on the president, Elon Musk, and Republicans, whom she called Nazis.

Bredefeld took to social media, equating Shurik with "hate-filled, radical lunatics," saying they have "no business teaching anywhere."

"I will defend her First Amendment right to do so," Bredefeld said. "I have a First Amendment right to criticize her, and I do."

Action News saw Shurik on Saturday as she protested outside a Tesla dealership in Northwest Fresno.

She displayed a poster for an upcoming protest and said she would award students extra credit if they attended.

"I just don't think these are the kind of people we want teaching young people," Bredefeld said.

Fresno State appears to distance itself from Shurik, calling her posts "abhorrent."

"...They do not represent our University in any way. Fresno State firmly denounces wishes of death against any elected official, particularly the President of the United States - these go against our core educational values and are not consistent with our Principles of Community..." the University offered in a statement.

Bredefeld says he spoke with Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval on Monday morning.

"He expressed being concerned about these kinds of statements being put out there by this professor," Bredefeld said of Jiménez-Sandoval.

Shurik describes herself on Facebook as a liberal activist and has previously said she teaches an activist anthropology course.

She declined our request for comment. Her posts remained online as of Monday night.

"Politics should be discussed," Bredefeld said. "But calling for the death of the President of the United States, calling for the death of Republicans, comparing them to Nazis - I think that crosses a line."

Controversial posts by professors have happened before at Fresno State.

In 2018, another professor kept her job after calling Barbara Bush an "amazing racist." Leaders at the time said those comments did not violate university policy.

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