UC Berkeley computer science professor, Jonathan Shewchuk has come under fire for posting online misogynistic comments to a discussion board. In response to a student asking about finding work and dating in the Bay Area, Mr. Shewchuk wrote: “You’ll be shocked by the stark differences in behavior of women in places where women are plentiful versus their behavior within artillery distance of San Jose and San Francisco,” Daily Cal reported.
In an email, Berkeley spokesperson, Roqua Montez wrote “We want to be absolutely clear that the offensive content of the original post goes against the values and Principles of Community we adhere to at UC Berkeley,”
Former students stated that the misogyny was not a one-off, and they were unsurprised by Mr. Shewchuk’s recent comments. Students expressed that they felt uncomfortable with him, due to hearing about an alleged transphobic comment on his website. On his personal EECS page, Shewchuck wrote that he identifies as a “Smith & Wesson 460XVR .45 caliber revolver” and uses the pronouns “death/deathem/deathself.”
Furthermore, the EECS department (Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences) is already rampant with gender inequality and a lack of diversity. 76% of EECS undergrads are male, compared to women, who make up 23% of EECS undergraduates (EECS Demographic Data for the Fall of 2022). This instance has only further proven to alienate the female students in that field of study.