A UC Davis professor has kept her job but was suspended without pay for one quarter and received a letter of censure, completing nearly two years of an internal investigation and deliberations following her social media post threatening “Zionist journalists” and their children.
Jemma DeCristo, an assistant professor in the American studies department, sparked “outrage” and “fear” among students, faculty and staff, according to the university’s findings, when she posted a message on X three days after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
In the post, DeCristo wrote that “Zionist journalists” who spread “propaganda and misinformation” have “houses with addresses” and “kids in school,” adding that “they can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more.” The message was accompanied by emojis depicting a knife, an ax and three drops of blood.
Although the post was made on what appeared to be a private X account, screenshots quickly circulated across social media, drawing intense criticism and millions of views.
According to a report about the investigation, conducted by the university’s law school dean and an Oakland law firm, there is “no question that the October 10 post injured members of the Jewish community, who felt scared, isolated, and angry to see this type of violent and hateful rhetoric from a UC Davis professor, with no subsequent clarification or apology. Nor is there any question that the post caused a ripple effect of anxiety and increased burden on campus.”
Although DeCristo remains employed by the university, UC Davis spokesperson Bill Kisliuk told J. that she is not currently teaching classes and last taught students during the spring quarter of 2023.
The concern raised by DeCristo’s post came amid heightened national scrutiny of universities over faculty speech, campus safety and increased antisemitism.
The climate at UC Davis has been highly polarized, with major pro-Palestinian demonstrations and encampments, at times leading to confrontations and counterprotests. In February 2024, the UC Davis student government approved a boycott of Israel and 34 companies with links to it.
Two months later, the StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice filed a federal complaint, accusing UC Davis of failing to respond adequately to a “pervasively hostile” atmosphere for Jewish and Zionist students.
In March 2025, UC Davis became one of 60 universities flagged by the U.S. Department of Education for potential Title VI violations related to antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
The controversy also had tangible consequences for the university. UC Davis anticipated financial losses after a donor who had historically made six-figure gifts decided to withhold future donations unless DeCristo was fired, and two faculty members cited the impact of DeCristo’s actions when resigning from their positions, according to a Aug. 21, 2025, letter of censure for DeCristo that was signed by UC Davis Chancellor Gary May.
The university sent J. redacted versions of the investigation report and the letter of censure. The investigation’s findings were first reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
In the letter, May noted that DeCristo’s “words and emojis terrified students and colleagues, sent [her department] into a tailspin, damaged the University’s reputation, imperiled its fundraising, and likely had other ripple effects on campus.”
The letter also informed DeCristo of her suspension without pay during the fall quarter of 2025. Her suspension ended Jan. 1.
The university’s investigation, which was concluded in June 2024, found that DeCristo’s post caused “havoc” for university administrators, faculty and students and that many felt deep emotional distress as a result.
“In the course of our interviews, we were struck by the amount of pain people experienced in response to the October 10 post,” the investigators wrote.
During interviews with investigators, DeCristo said she did not believe her post was antisemitic because it did not mention Jews. She also stated her understanding that “a lot of Jews do not identify as Zionists and a lot of Zionists do not identify as Jews.” She described the message as “intentionally hyperbolic” and “satirical,” saying she “did not understand how people could construe the post to threaten violence” and that she “would be surprised if anyone interpreted the post as a legitimate threat of violence.”
Both the investigators and the chancellor expressed concern that DeCristo failed to meaningfully acknowledge the harm caused by her words. The report found that she viewed herself as the “sole victim in this situation” and “failed to reckon with the suffering of others that the post caused.”
Some members of the Jewish community were outraged that DeCristo was not fired.
Rabbi Ben Herman, senior rabbi at the Conservative synagogue Mosaic Law in Sacramento, who served on the board of Hillel at Davis and Sacramento from 2023 to 2025 and has been involved with on-campus life, told J. that community members are “angered” and “upset” and feel that DeCristo’s post is “not viewed as protected free speech, but as a threat.”
“Jemma DeCristo got off with a slap on the wrist, and someone who threatens the lives of Zionists, journalists and their children should not be permitted to have the privilege of teaching at a university,” he said.
The Hillel at Davis and Sacramento declined to comment. DeCristo did not respond to a request for comment.