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By Francisco Ramirez
Kings Network News | March 31, 2025

FRESNO, CA — A Fresno State lecturer is facing fierce backlash after controversial social media posts surfaced showing her celebrating the idea of former President Donald Trump’s death and calling for the demise of Republicans and business mogul Elon Musk.

Screenshots shared by Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld on his public Facebook page appear to show Instagram and Facebook posts from Katherine Shurik, a part-time lecturer in Fresno State’s Anthropology Department. One of the images includes a photoshopped funeral scene with Trump in a casket, captioned: “I have a dream for this to happen much sooner rather than later.” The post was accompanied by hashtags such as #FelonTrump, #DieTrump, and #TrumpDead.

Another alleged post on Facebook, now hidden from public view, shows a tombstone mock-up that reads “Donald J. Trump – June 14, 1946 – TO – NOW WOULD BE GOOD,” with the comment: “And take Musk and the rest of the Nazi (Republican) party members with you too!”

Bredefeld, who represents District 2 on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, condemned the posts, writing:

“This is a professor at Fresno State posting about her longing for the deaths of President Trump, Elon Musk and Republicans. These are the unhinged radicals teaching our young kids at schools and universities across the country. People like this are hate-filled, radical lunatics and have no business teaching anywhere.”

As of this writing, Bredefeld’s Facebook post has been shared more than 285 times — fueling rapid public response and heated debate. Link to original post

Kings Network News has independently verified that Katherine Shurik is currently listed as a part-time faculty member in Fresno State’s Department of Anthropology, with an active university email and office location in the Peters Business Building. Her professional profiles indicate she is also pursuing a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Humanities at UC Merced and has a background in anthropology, museum studies, and digital heritage.

As news of the posts spread, the comment section on Bredefeld’s post exploded with responses from the public, many calling for disciplinary action or outright termination:

• “She should be fired or extremely penalized for this crap,” wrote Chris Cammack.

• “Why is she allowed to teach anywhere? She needs to be investigated by the Secret Service,” added Jeff Clites.

• “This person likes to divide our country. She needs to remember the taxpayers are footing her pay,” commented Cora Mark Peterson.

Others labeled the lecturer “sick,” “evil,” and “disrespectful,” with some questioning whether her words should be treated as threats. Some even urged federal authorities to investigate.

As of Monday morning, Fresno State has not released a public statement addressing the matter.

Katherine Shurik’s Instagram account, which remains publicly viewable, still contains the controversial funeral image. Her Facebook page appears to have been locked down or made private following the growing scrutiny.

While public figures have been no strangers to criticism or parody on social media, the intensity and nature of these posts — particularly from an educator — have sparked a renewed debate about boundaries between free expression, incitement, and professionalism in academia.

What do you think — should university faculty be held to a different standard when it comes to public speech?