The University of Toronto has placed a professor on leave following a controversial comment made on social media after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon.

Ruth Marshall, an associate professor of religious studies and political science, posted a message on the platform X at 5:40 p.m. ET, stating, "Shooting is honestly too good for so many of you fascist c–ts." This comment came hours after Kirk was shot at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, with U.S. President Donald Trump announcing his death around 4:40 p.m. ET. Marshall later deleted her post.

In response to the incident, the University of Toronto issued a statement saying, "The university took immediate action upon learning of the concerning social media posts of a University of Toronto professor. The faculty member is now on leave and not on campus. The matter is being looked into and the university will not be commenting further."

Marshall's comment drew criticism from Ontario's Minister of Colleges and Universities, Nolan Quinn. He expressed his concerns on X, stating, "Universities and their professors are supposed to foster critical thought, respectful debate, and be safe learning environments — and this professor’s violent rhetoric flagrantly flies in the face of that. I’ve been clear with the University of Toronto: they need to act."

Marshall did not respond to requests for comment but later clarified on X that her statement was not a direct response to Kirk's assassination. She described her comment as an expression regarding the character of individuals, not an endorsement of violence.

The backlash against Marshall's post was significant, with many users on X calling for her dismissal. One user wrote, "Fire Dr. Ruth Marshall, or I am pulling my kid from your university. I won’t stand for this!" Another commented, "The evil of these people is almost too much to comprehend."

Some users encouraged others to contact the dean of arts at U of T to voice their complaints. One commenter stated, "Dr. Ruth Marshall is an excellent display of what is wrong in our education system. It is this kind of rot that needs to be purged."

The university continues to investigate the matter, and further comments have not been made.