An Ibero-American University law professor who made fun of Senator Citlalli Hernandez’s physique on Monday has lost his job.
“Yesterday Rodrigo Pérezalonso, professor at Ibero, posted an offensive and degrading comment on social media about Senator Citlalli Hernández,” the university said in a statement issued Tuesday. “As soon as we found out, through the same social network, we make it clear that these types of attitudes and behaviors are contrary to the values of our university, values for which we constantly work to instill in our students, and teaching and administrative staff.”
Pérezalonso made fun of the senator’s weight in the tweet and added a pig emoji. “Urgent news: Senator Citlalli registered for the presidency of Morena with the platform OINC = Organized and Outraged by Citlalli’s Nutrition,” the tweet read.
Hernández is a candidate for the leadership of the Morena party.
“After a deep discussion between representatives of different sectors of our university, including the department of law, the Ibero-American University reports that Rodrigo Pérezalonso has been separated from his teaching position in all his subjects,” the university’s statement continued.
Outrage at Pérezalonso’s remarks, which he initially brushed off as a joke, was widespread and began with Hernández herself. “Violence against women and physical discrimination must be fought in all spaces. Unfortunately, this type of aggression is experienced by girls and young people on a daily basis; it’s not about me but about all of us,” she said.
Politicians also condemned Pérezalonso, as did first lady and writer Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, who called his remarks “reprehensible.”
Pérezalonso, who is also a columnist for the newspaper Excélsior, published a letter of apology to his Twitter account yesterday in which he said that social media platforms should be used to “promote respect and celebrate diversity,” and that he had misused his Twitter account in offending a woman “who deserves all my respect and recognition as my behavior has always been characterized.”
Pérezalonso admitted that his comments were degrading, and apologized to all those he had offended. He also said he is seeking specialized counseling on gender awareness and training “to rectify and correct any type of violent, discriminatory and offensive behavior in me.”
Source: El Universal (sp)
