A lecturer from Louisiana State University has been removed from his teaching position after leaving a threatening, profanity-filled voicemail criticizing a state senator for a recent “anti-trans” vote.
Marcus Venable—a teacher and sociology graduate student whose interests include criminology, sex offender recidivism, sexual assault, and sex offender registries—allegedly left a furious 50-second message on the cellphone of Louisiana Republican Senator Mike Fesi on Tuesday night.
Earlier that day, Fesi voted “yes” on House Bill 648, also known as the “Stop Harming Our Kids Act,” which bans hormone treatments, gender reassignment surgeries, and other so-called “gender-affirming care” for anyone under the age of 18. Tuesday’s vote overruled Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards’ previous veto of the bill, and the legislation will now take effect January 1, 2024.
On Tuesday, 07/18/2023, the Louisiana Senate voted to override Governor John Bel Edwards' veto of SB 648 (Prohibits certain procedures to alter the sex of a minor child by Representative Gabe Firment)https://t.co/llg314iadu pic.twitter.com/KIUcPCueT8
— Senator "Big Mike" Fesi (@Sen_BigMikeFesi) July 19, 2023
In response to the decision, an enraged Venable left the following voicemail expressing his objection:
“I just wanted to say ‘Congratulations’ to our State Senator, Big Mike Fesi. And that f***ing moron voted to make things worse for people who are already suffering. You fat f***ing piece of s**t. You did not produce any g**d**n evidence to support the claims you made about people being harmed by transgender care, yet we’ve had tons of empirical evidence telling us there’s an increased suicide risk for people who don’t get this care. So you, you big fat headed mother f***er, I can’t wait to read your name in the f***ing obituary. I will make a g**d**n martini made from the tears of your butthurt conservatives when we put your f***ing a** in the ground, you fat f***ing useless piece of sh*t. F*** you. I hope you have a terrible day. Go f*** yourself.”
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Upon receiving the recorded message, Fesi passed it on to Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police, who quickly traced the call back to Venable. “You know, it goes too far,” Fesi said. “We just got to understand that everybody’s got their opinion, we still live in a great country for freedom of speech. But we just got to hold it to a condition that everybody understands each other, and we don’t always have to agree.”
The recording was also posted to Twitter by a number of commentators:
UNHINGED: This is a voicemail that was sent to Louisiana State Senator @Sen_BigMikeFesi after he voted to override Gov. John Bel Edwards' veto on the bill to ban child sex changes in which @LSU Professor Marcus Venable calls him a "fat fucking piece of shit" and says "I can't… pic.twitter.com/IEKisCF6mg
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 20, 2023
No criminal charges were filed, but LSU announced that Venable had been removed from his teaching position at the school. He will, however, be allowed to continue on campus as a graduate student. “As a university, we foster open and respectful dialogue. Like everyone, graduate students with teaching assignments have the right to express their opinions, but this profanity-filled, threatening call crossed the line,” university spokeswoman Abbi Rocha Laymoun told the Louisiana Illuminator. “This does not exhibit the character we expect of someone given the privilege of teaching as part of their graduate assistantship. The student will be allowed to continue their studies but will not be extended the opportunity to teach in the future.”
With the passage of House Bill 648, Louisiana becomes the twentieth state to pass legislation restricting transgender treatments and ideologies in the last year.
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