Attorney For Accused Pitt Instructor Denies Claims Of Racism, Anti-Semitism
By: John P. Wise/KDKA-TV
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Days after being accused of making offensive remarks in class, a visiting lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh is now, through his attorney, denying the claims.
Citing a student's claim in a Reddit thread, an article first published Sunday in Pitt News accused Vasili Rukhadze of comparing mask-wearing to "being gassed in Auschwitz."
KDKA reported Tuesday that the university issued a statement saying it was aware of the accusation:
"The University is aware of a faculty member using inappropriate and offensive language during a class. The faculty member's comments stand in direct opposition to our values and the appropriate offices have engaged with both the faculty member and students. As a university, we remain steadfastly committed to creating an inclusive environment that allows everyone to succeed and events like this underscore how important this work continues to be. We encourage the Pitt community to report incidents like these so the university can assess the situation and promptly respond."
Also in its initial report, the school newspaper wrote that Rukhadze apologized to his class via email.
Thursday, however, Rukhadze's attorney, David Kobylinski, sent a statement to KDKA, calling the accusations "spurious and false," adding that his client "absolutely and unequivocally denies that he compared wearing a mask to being poisoned by gas at Auschwitz."
Kobylinski continued his statement with accusations against the accuser:
"The young man who made these false statements appears to be a troubled individual who has a history of confronting Dr. Rukhadze at lectures. Of note, the young man most recently engaged Dr. Rukhadze during the class immediately prior to the class in which he now alleges Dr. Rukhadze made this statement. Dr. Rukhadze is concerned for this individual's well being and encourages him to seek counseling."
It's not clear if Rukhadze will face any discipline.
This story will be updated.