Penn professor retires after controversy over Nazi rhetoric, gesture used at virtual conference

A University of Pennsylvania professor has retired after he used rhetoric and a hand gesture associated with the Nazis during a virtual academic conference earlier this month.

Robert Schuyler was an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Museum curator. His retirement from the school’s faculty became effective Monday, Steven Fluharty, dean of Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, quietly announced in an updated statement this week. The move comes after Schuyler’s classes at the university were canceled as the incident drew ire.

In video of the controversial exchange during a Society for Historical Archaeology virtual discussion on Jan. 6, Schuyler interjects following speaker Liz Quinlan, a researcher and doctoral student at the University of York, to bring up concerns on society membership. When Quinlan told Schuyler, a society donor, that it was “not the place” to address the matter, he cited “freedom of speech.”

As Quinlan responded, he said, “Sieg Heil to you” and raised his hand forward. Quinlan later shared her discontentment with society officials in a letter, in which she called for Schuyler to be censured and barred from upcoming meetings.

“To not only be interrupted, but to be spoken to with such vitriol and anger by a senior researcher in my field is demoralizing, embarrassing, and deeply upsetting,” the letter read. “The apparent inclusion of a Nazi salute and reference to a Nazi victory cry, whether done in jest or otherwise, is both enormously offensive and abhorrent.”

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A portion of the exchange became widely shared on social media, leading to calls for his firing and many entities tied to Schuyler to issue statements scorning the behavior. An online petition urging his ouster has amassed more than 1,900 signatures.

“Such behavior has no place in our academic discourse, which aims to celebrate the open exchange of ideas in an environment that promotes civility, respect, and inclusion,” Fluharty said in a statement directly following the incident. “Nazi symbols are antithetical to our values as an institution. The fact that this behavior comes during a period of deep social division in our nation, when too many others are invoking such symbols in their expressions of hate, makes this incident even more painful for our community.”

Kathleen Morrison, Penn’s department of anthropology chair, quickly condemned Schuyler’s behavior as traction grew online and swiftly shared news of Schuyler’s retirement on Twitter Monday. The Daily Pennsylvanian was first to report the decision.

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Schuyler is listed as professor emeritus of anthropology and former associate curator-in-charge at Penn Museum on Penn’s website. Prior courses taught include historical archaeology, African American archaeology, and themes in historical archaeology.

It’s not clear if Schuyler cited the incident upon informing Penn of his retirement. Neither returned a request for comment.