A college student at Fordham University in New York was punished and forced to undergo “political reeducation” this summer for two Instagram posts – one of which depicted the student holding an AR-15.
Austin Tong is a rising senior at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, and he accused the school of “Soviet-style interrogation and punishment.”
“I am no longer permitted on campus, with public safety coming to my home at midnight to question me on the day of the post, and face forced political reeducation through mandatory courses and to write an apology letter, or will face full suspension or expulsion – is this happening in America, or is this a Soviet nightmare?” he asked in a letter to the school.
The Instagram post in question depicts Tong holding a Smith & Wesson M&P AR-15 and standing in his back yard.
SEE ALSO: Student Suspended After Posting a Gun Video Before Going to the Range with His Mother
The caption reads “Don’t tread on me. #198964,” which is a reference to both the Gadsden flag and the Tienanmen Square massacre. Tong is from a Chinese immigrant family, and he says the post was intended to express appreciation for his Second Amendment rights.
“To everyone and @fordhamuniversity: this post or my mentality is SOLELY for the memory of the thousands of armless students who had no method of defense and were massacred in 6.4.1989, and in no way advocating violence to anyone,” Tong said in a follow-up comment.
“This post is my appreciation toward the United States and the privilege in this country to have the right to bear arms, to have a populace that can defend itself from tyranny. Tiananmen Incident is a huge deal in my motherland and to my ethnicity, and so is civil rights in America, but this post is solely my belief that freedom comes from a strong and armed populace. Violence against any citizen should not be tolerated, and the Second Amendment protects us from that.”
The university wasn’t convinced by his explanation. They found him guilty of violating university policies banning “threats/intimidation.”
They also claimed he violated “regulations relating to bias and/or hate crimes” for a separate post depicting slain police officer David Dorn that included the caption, “Y’all a bunch of hypocrites.”
SEE ALSO: Yale Law School Students: Gun Control is Preemptive Self-Defense
This post came following a riot protesting the death of George Floyd during which Dorn was killed protecting a pawn shop. Tong claims the post was simply expressing frustration that Dorn’s death was given less attention than Floyd’s.
“The content of both posts are fully by my love for this country, fully within the boundaries of law and university code, and in no way expressing threatening or hateful thoughts – yet the University subjectively and maliciously assumed my intentions as hate crime and threat,” Tong said.
Fordham placed Tong on disciplinary probation that will last until he graduates. He is banned from representing the university in any extracurricular activities or running for or holding leadership roles in student organizations. He can no longer enter the university campus without the dean’s permission (which must be requested one businesses day before he plans to be on campus), and he has to finish the remainder of the school year through remote learning. He must also complete “implicit bias” training with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and write an apology letter.
“Coming to this country as an immigrant, one would think that America is a nation of law and free speech. Yet that is no longer the case,” Tong wrote in his letter to Fordham leadership. “I was forcibly silenced, faced verbal and assaulting harassment from mobs, and subjected to Soviet-style interrogation and punishment by a Jesuit university that claims in its own code of conduct, that it protects ‘freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas.’”
The University refused to comment on Tong’s letter or rescind their decision, so Tong has decided to sue the school. He has vowed to take the fight all the way to the Supreme Court, and he’s set up a Go Fund Me to cover legal expenses.
Don’t look too bad. Very well shot. @nra https://t.co/iVmHevYX5C
— Austin Tong (@realaustintong) July 21, 2020
one word in that story revealed the whole problem JESUIT. I hope he sues the underpants off them and it costs them millions in the end. Religion has its place but educational institutions operated by religious institutions have gotten away with violating people’s rights for far too long, it’s past time for all that crap to stop. I hope he hits em hard in the pocket book in a way they’ll never forget.
Shame on my once brilliant alma mater for its insult to human and civil rights, the US Constitution, academic balance and common sense. Liberal social values and coerced political correctness must not displace our nation’s citizens’ freedoms. I stand with you Austin! Thank you for having an awareness of the priceless value of our Second Amendment rights as well as a brain and conscience and the courage to use them!
Wow! Good for this kid. What an intelligent and thoughtful young man. Sue those commy loving bastards.
He’d be welcomed at any Texas university.
Well guys, put your money where your mouth is! I just sent a small anonymous donation to his GoFundMe account. I won’t miss $20. A lot of people have made $10 donations, a few up to $100. Would you miss $10 to get this to court?
Fordham U was a Catholic university that was run by the liberal wing of that church. With the shrinking of candidates for priesthood and other clerical positions, more responsibility was handed over to lay people. Today, it is on par with Columbia University in it’s views. It is a hotbed of malcontents bent on showing everybody that they are wrong and that the university teachings are correct. No more open discussions. No more exploring different value systems. It’s their way or you’re out. Oh, they were once noted for having a superb accounting program. Not sure about today.
Yeah, I want my kids to go to THAT “skool” and pay them lots of money!!!!
Parents should have taken the young man out of there on Day#1 of this crap, sue hell out of the institution, and in best case scenario, ALL of the staff should be deported to a commie country and the stinking cesspool should be boarded-up and sold!
Might make a great Indoor Shooting Range!?
Fuck that Fordham University! Too bad he can’t stick that barrel up the Deans ass. What the hell is going on in our colleges today?
There needs to be more articles and information on this. I hesitate to donate to anything without proof. This could be lefties using the go fund me part to take away more of our rights. If this is true, FOX News needs to be make aware of it. When conservatives carry this on the air, there will be a lot of volunteers.
soon to be called…. Austin Tong University’s Gabelli School of Business!
Let’s all get on board with this young man. This is BS.
Your rights have been unlawfully abused! We will keep you in our prayers that this type of bulling from any student and especially the leaders of any such university not be allowed!Q
phony site deletes comments. Uckf you guyz.
Looks like neo-nazi racism to me.
Post it in a gun club or huntinrg club is OK. But not on Social Media like that. Perhaps 60-70 years ago nobody would care but during that time millions were put in education camps in America called government schooling and are now threatened by pictures like dat and scared to death as SHEEPLES now.
Isn’t this what communist governments have been doing for decades with their reeducation camps for those who decent from the party orthodoxy?
Sue the crap out of the university.
This is getting close to time to take up arms and put a stop to the deep state, antifa, blm, or what the hell ever they want to call themselves today. The thing they don’t understand is that many Americans that have kept quiet are about out of patience. It’ll get ugly quickly when the breaking point is reached! Kudos and good luck to this young man. Lets make this as public as possible and get him some support.
The big problem Jim is the powers that be are egging us on to start a fight. They want to split America, divide and conquer and they are doing a damn good job. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. But your right how long can we put up with this? They are Communists and they will re-educate or kill us, or we will fight and it will be a bloody mess. The masters are paying big bucks to the educated idiots to inflame their people and to agitate us. I heard that Soros spent all but 5 billion of his fortune to pay off his goons, and how about Bloomberg and who ever else is putting their money in the pot to bring our country down. I know how you feel ,my blood boils when I hear these things. It is out in the open and right in your our faces.
I’m ready to defend our Country and fall back into combat mode. It’s inevitable armed conflict response will happen. Fuck all these people that hate this Country.
It has become all too obvious that the constitution is applied at will and also withheld at will. Who’s will is the question. The line has been drawn. Democrat leftists have usurped power in multiple arena; universities are just one of them. They are brainwashing our young adults and applying the law as they want. Many are funded by the Federal Government; stop funding them.
If this student made no verbal threats he should be represented by the NRA and others to bring this case to the Supreme Court.
Unfortunately I don’t believe we will be able to avoid confrontation.
Find another school, one not run by bed wetters.
Having voted for 50 years, which means I had a Draft Number To Nam, #252, I have been around a lot of blocks, and I have never muched like the Right or the Left as they both pull the same BS. Once U get that figured out u understand that neither Party is in this for US. Sorry, but it is The Truth. Now if the Right is so great way don’t we have National Carry? I Want National Carry. Both Parties support Gun Free Zones, Yep, most every Gov Office Building is a Gun Free Zone, so change that please.
Ok what is my point: Dont Trust either Party. Free Your Mind Be Party Blind. They want you to follow them as it gives them power, but yet they really don’t much care about any one of US they just want the power we can give. The Right and The Left are our Elected Entiled Elite. Get that into your heart and mind, and then work to change it to We The People. God Bless
Amen brother. It’s time to quit treating political parties like your favorite sporting team. It’s the SAME GAME. They ALL suck. It’s time for term limits. It’s time for accountability. It’s time for GOOD third party choices….or its time for civil war. God please save us from that if you can.
The college needs to have its tax exemption pulled. I thought this story was a joke when i first read it. I can’t believe this is happening in my country.
THIS…is why we own guns.
Mr. Tong you are free to express your thoughts and ideas, as long as they agree with the left. That is the left’s version of free speech and has infected colleges and school boards thought what used to be the USA.
This is an excellent example of a case that needs to be seen by the US Supreme Court so that we Americans can keep our rights intact.
The Supreme Court does not hear cases about firearms just cases about abortion and gay rights.
If you all do not show up and vote a straight Republican ticket in Nov., you have nothing to complain about. The gloves are off, and these COMMUNISTS are showing their true colors. Are you going to complain about Trump’s orange hair, or what he says? Or, are you going to protect the America we all grew up in, and love?
There is not excuse for anyone not voting this November.
Glad to have this young man as a fellow American.
this young man is being harrassed by the
‘socialist/demomocrats
this young man is being harrassed by the”socialist/democrats”he is well within his rights under our constitution to have comported himself in the manner which he did.the university should be sued for abridging his constitutional rights and for denying him due process of law.
‘
100%! Unlike opinions defending a lawsuit involves spending money to defend your misguided actions. They are also risking a huge judgement against their School. It is amazing how quickly the principles of a liberal disappear when facing a massive judgement. It’s also a guarantee of no further violations of the 1st, 2nd, 5th and 14th amendments.
It’s time to take a stand against these tyrannical school administrators!! Don’t wait for someone else to do it . Get behind and support this young man and take a stand for Freedom. I want to challenge everyone that believes in freedom to give to his GO FUND ME PAGE. I did.
Question what the hell does it mean that my comment is awaiting moderation. That sounds like ( awaiting censorship )
Exactly. Not just the left is involved in censorship.
The school “charged him with a hate crime” or are they acting as a private institution with a right to enforce personal conduct on the people who have agreed to be there? Christian school enforce a personal code of conduct, are they fascists for expelling students for violations like premartial sex, or are they asserting their privilege to regulate the people they invite to their private institution?
that is a good question, and I have an answer. If a faith-born private school expels someone for having pre-marital sex, it is because they actually had premarital sex (perhaps you could present an example of anyone ever being expelled for that).
But, this you man was expelled for an “opinion crime”, and a picture. Fordham has made an assumption that the young man hates a segment of society.
There is no comparison between the mythical expulsion you present, and what Fordham has done.
I’m guessing if private companies & religious organizations are allowed to exclude birth control/contraceptives from health care they provide, a private university can probably exclude certain activities/people from their campus as well.
However, if they take federal funds, and I don’t know if Fordham does or doesn’t, then they probably can’t.
A private club can decide who they will or won’t allow as members. Maybe a private university also functions the same way.
In case you weren’t aware Fordham is one of several Jesuit Universities in America that have been espousing Communism for years. Private schools are now Far Worse than many Public Universities because parents pay Premium Money usually Double Public Universities to have their children wholly Indoctrinated in Satanic & Marxist Propaganda.
Perhaps, when picking schools one should look at extra-curricular programs as well as the class programs. Schools that don’t support sports like archery, fencing, small-bore rifle, martial arts, or any faith based club activities, should be looked at hard. Also look at the alumni supporting the school…. Liberal Arts can be taught at a conservative school, but real freedom isn’t taught at liberal school…..
It’s time to us to act. Fund this man’s fight against tyranny! It runs rampant in the education class in this country. “PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS” Don’t look to the NRA or someone else to do what you and I need to do. This fight is going to take possibly millions of dollars to fight and if this young man is ready to fight “I say lets get behind he all the way”!
Lawyer up. Lawfare is the best way to hold these cretins accountable for their actions.
It’s time to “PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS” Its going to take 100’s of thousands and even millions of dollars to fight this Marxist plague that has taken over the colleges in this country. Don’t look to the NRA or anyone else. WHAT IS FREEDOM WORTH TO YOU!!!
After i quit a job at Indiana University i received a letter stating : you have been terminated for speaking about your personal weapons collection.
I left because i was accused of keeping a gun under the seat of my truck, the police and upper administration were invited to try to get their hand under the seat ( the mounts for the bucket seats were made by me and left no room for a hand, let alone a gun in the hand ) they declined and kept up the harassing meetings until I quit, then they sent the letter! I kept a holster in the center console for the EAA Witness Hunter 6″ long slide .45
my question is who throws a 1000.00 dollar handgun under a seat that has no access.
this student needs to bring the college to its knees with this lawsuit, break their stupid ass pocket book.
the author also needs to stop listing everything at twatter that tracking and selling your personal data anti privacy website.
This kid is awesome. He knows more about political oppression than most Americans ever will, yet the ignorant and totalitarian left persists with their Soviet style political persecution. I hope he sues Fordham and wins a huge pot of money. The left is fascist and they behave like fascists despite their baying to the contrary. This conduct by Fordham is right out of a Solzhenitsyn novel and the sad thing is these leftists may be clueless that they are totalitarian fascists.
+100! Great Post W10…Tong truly understands the United States Constitution & is a Great American in the making. The Killings of the Chinese Students in 1989 who’s memory Tong embraces, should be honored by his fellow Fordham Classmates and Admin, yet he’s being silenced! In the “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave”, an immigrant from Communist China is teaching a class about Freedom, that most all around him seem to have forgotten and/or take advantage of! A lessoning stating “All men are created equal!” when he merely posted his disappointment over Murdered Officer David Dorn’s killing given so little attention and Career Criminal George Floyd’s receiving so much! Both men were Black but Floyd was killed by Officers serving an Arrest Warrant over yet another Crime, while Dorn perished protecting Private Property from “Peaceful Protestors”. For this, Fordham said Tong was guilty of a HATE CRIME, Ironically…Fordham practices their “Right of Free Speech” by denying Tong His!
GOD Bless You Tong, I too will be supporting your “Fund Me” account…this is just another example of the left working to discredit Immigrants from Communist Countries telling the truth about Socialism, which they came here to escape!
The school needs to be shamed in the way all these dinks do to anyone that disagrees with them. Also I hope this gets more attention than this one article. Fuck Fordham.
This young man needs to flee that toxic environment (Fordham University) ASAP, before all common sense is extracted from him. He appears to be well on his way of becoming one of our most upstanding citizens, hopefully a lawmaker. Lord knows we need more like him in Congress. If he has the need to finish his education, I would suggest Hillsdale College. Kudos to the young man and I hope he does not buckle under to the petty tyrants.
James, we can not keep running from the fight. It’s time to stand up to the bully and punch him square in the nose! If this young man is will to do that I say we need to get behind him and fight with him! Send him some money!
No, he needs to take a stand. Which ghetto would you have him flee to? That never ends well; it just makes rounding up us dissenters easier.
Absolutely insane, hopefully the NRA, which maybe cover some of his legal expenses..
Sue young man sue there pants off for violating your Constitutional rights. Sounds like a Democrat run state. I have read where the NRA has ben some what involved. Let them help you if they are willing.
Young Mr Tong is learning quickly how leftists operate in the USA. They have taken over colleges and universities such as Fordham. As I have said before, when we completely lose the 1st Amendment, and we are very very close to that now, it won’t be because the Federal government amended or rescinded. We have been giving it away for decades. These same marxists/fascists successfully introduced the term “political correctness” as a way to coral speech into the left’s tiny little corner. Not only did it work, it actually got normal thinking red blooded American to shut up, stop talking out loud, stop thinking and even agree to go to “diversity training” of their own free will. We have been trained for decades now to think like a leftist. It’s NEVER enough. Give an inch, they want a yard. Now they want to take your yard. It has led to this Cancel-Culture whereby countering opinion is shouted down on campuses, on social media (posts pulled for non-conformity) at the workplace (constant “diversity” training, harassment training) on major internet search engines who quietly manipulate search results. We are forced to think like these leftists. This is fascism, plain and simple, yet they claim to be anti-fascists. The Marxists have the major media outlets running cover for them. If anyone thinks this isn’t a YUGE deal you are misguided. Effectively, we have already lost the 1st Amend, giving more of it away every single day we don’t talk back, have those hard conversations out loud, not enroll in marxist schools..etc. it’s not gonna be easy.
The folks who read GA already get it. Many old school “liberals” see what’s going on too; they have been buying guns and training like no other time in recent history because they too see what happens when marxist/fascists communists get this much traction in our country- and law enforcement is depicted as the enemy. How quickly has society broken down in the cities run by hardcore leftists? Imagine how easy they will completely scrub the 1st Amend, the 4th and 5th amendments if they ever get the 2A ? The rest will just fade away..
Stay strong, young Mr Tong. I hope a lawsuit against Fordham gets going in the court. You are leading by example. We were all immigrants or descendants thereof but it’s invigorating to see newer citizens cherish this country. No other country has our Bill of Rights. It’s good to see that it’s still cherished. Hope we can keep it.
Quit posting anything about what’s wrong, we all know what’s wrong, everybody says the same things. What nobody will say is how to fix any of it. There is only one way this is going to get settled and it isnt through the supreme kangaroo court, it also isnt at the ballot box, it isnt on our soap boxes here and throughout internet land. I’ve told you all before that there is only one way to stop this and it involves many of us leaving this earth. Dont believe me? The day after all of the three letter agencies, the state and local Leo’s have come to your house, taken all of your guns, all your ammo and you ask yourself, what do we do now as you’re being hauled off to those new schools they set up outside of town, then you will believe me.
In order to get the attention of the US Supreme Court we should be demonstrating in large numbers In front of their building to ensure they know we are watching how they act and are dissatisfied with their continued kicking of the can down the road.
2a. We need to protest protest protest. We are being taken over and brainwashed by mainstream media and leftist democrats
Our Marxists don’t hate guns. They hate America loving patriots who have them. Just look at that rapper strutting around the Capitol Hill Urban Marxist Protest Society.
He was right to say it was and is Soviet style interrogations this is supposed to be a free country the right to bare “ARMS” but the squeaky wheel gets to much attention it’s past time for push back
The NRA should offer to pay his bills.
Only the second time I ever donated to a Go Fund Me. He deserves the support.
I agree with Will, Daniel, Super G, Mark, and Austin. Shame on university for shameful behavior towards an individual whose parents probably saw this kind of censorship before moving to the great USA. We live in a cancel culture that makes me wanna puke. Thank you Austin for having the balls to expressing his 1A and 2A rights. What happened to innocent until proven guilty in our country? Austin has every right to post those photos. And hats off for voicing how wrong 6/4/89 events were. And it’s a shame the fake news are not plastering the story of this all over the airwaves the way they did Mr. Floyd and idiots of the BLM movement. Keep your chin up Austin it is good to see your age group is aware of more than leftist views. Continue the conversation. All life matters. Education of history and not to repeat errors is how we show intelligence, to bad the leftists want to take us back to B.C. times. TO ALL MAKE SURE YOU VOTE. Otherwise we will all be getting treated like Austin, or worse.
When is the government going to step in and revoke all government assistance and any other benefits allowed to these businesses ( these schools are businesses ) for violating the Constitutional rights of American Citizens.
Nikita Krushchev was right. The Communists have made their long march through America’s institutions and intend to subvert freedom and liberty without firing a shot.
Left wing academics, who infest college campuses these days and who hate all things gun, cannot tolerate free thinking or free speech. Nothing in his posts was in the least inflammatory, except for those who cringe at the sight of guns expecting a mass shooting that was never intended nor will ever happen. He made a threat of harm to no one. Maybe the Chinese government (which cannot tolerate anything negative about Tienanmen Square, even by ex-pats) leaned on the school to shut him up. (It would not be the first time. China spies on its students ever where in the world, threatens consequences against students’ families if they misbehave or refuse to spy for the motherland, and recruit through money, threats, and intimidation, ex-pats into working for them in stealing intellectual property.)
Dear President Trump,
Please de-fund Fordham.
Pure communism, these so called institutes of higher learning need to lose all federal money ,and an extensive investigation of the administration’s need’s to take place and an extensive investigation of it’s professors also needs to take place.
Also Mcgraw hill the book people and all the other book maker’s need to be investigated and we need to find out who authorized these places to alter the true history of what happened in early America ,it’s past time to take back our country ,and the real dissidents need to be re educated.
This is the kind of immigrants this country needs!!!
Austin is demonstrating great moral character and a determination that the Constitution and its Ammendments are not just ink on paper to be ignored or selectively recognized. For a young man he fully understands what American freedoms and responsibilities are, wear as those charged with educating our youth have long abandoned them.
Fight the good fight young man.