Mississippi State University Instructor Who Compared YAF Activists To KKK Vanishes From MSU Website

When Young America’s Foundation broke the story of a Mississippi State University media ethics instructor tweeting that MSU Young Americans for Freedom were “the White Male Student Caucus… Hoods and burning crosses optional,” criticism was swift. The Daily Wire, Daily Caller, National Review, RedState, and others reported on the comment from Ryan Phillips, who’s also an editor at a local news outlet. Even Mississippi State condemned the comments, telling the Daily Wire that their instructor’s tweet was “highly inappropriate, inflammatory, and patently unfair and intolerant.” Now, it seems Phillips has disappeared from Mississippi State’s website. An attempt to locate him in the campus directory comes up empty, he doesn’t appear on the Department of Communication’s faculty page, and a search of MSU’s entire site reveals a link to what appears to have been Phillips’ faculty page, but now reads “We’re sorry but we cannot find the requested faculty listing.” His role at MSU has also vanished from his own Twitter bio, seeming to confirm he’s no longer a member of their faculty. The New Guard attempted to confirm Phillips’ employment status with MSU, but the school’s Public Affairs Director responded that MSU doesn’t comment on personnel matters. As an inconvenient lesson to leftists that runs opposite most of what they profess: actions (and words) have consequences. Yes, Phillips had every right to tweet what he did, but with the freedom to express oneself also comes the responsibility to handle whatever that expression brings in response. As we at YAF often say, one of the best things about free expression, free inquiry, and intellectual diversity is that when all voices are heard, the good ones rise to the top of the conversation while the bad fall off. It appears Phillips had to learn these lessons the hard way.