Megan Marzec, the embattled president of Ohio University Student Senate, has told The Post she has received death threats over her pouring of fake blood over her head to protest Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
Megan Marzec, the embattled president of Ohio University Student Senate, has told The Post she has received death threats over her pouring of fake blood over her head to protest Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
Messages of hate directed at Marzec have surfaced on social media. On Thursday evening and Friday morning, Marzec showed Post staff two copies of death threats directed at her via email. She also told The Post that her email inbox has been "overflowing with hate mail."
The Post contacted the Athens and Ohio University police departments on Friday to see if Marzec had submitted any police reports related to the threats. Both departments said she has not. On Thursday, Marzec told The Post she has been in contact with local authorities to discuss ways to keep her safe.
She said on Friday that she did not file any official report and that local authorities approached her about an investigation into threats made against her and OU President Roderick McDavis. She said police contacted her and said they contacted "local authorities from the sender of the emails" and there are criminal investigations in place.
The Ohio Department of Homeland Security is monitoring the internet for any mention of Marzec's name, or threats made against her, she said. She said she is forwarding emails that are "direct threats to my life."
Authorities recommended Marzec enter university housing, and that she not walk around campus alone.
A spokesman at the federal and state homeland security agencies could not be reached on Friday.
The threats come after massive blowback on campus and online to Marzec pouring the "blood" over herself to pressure OU to divest from Israel. The boycotts, sanctions and divestment (BDS) movement is an international call to cut all ties with Israel "until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights," according to BDSmovement.net.
Bobcats for Israel, an OU pro-Israel advocacy group, and Alpha Pi Epsilon, a Jewish fraternity, called for Marzec's resignation at Wednesday night's senate meeting. Marzec recorded the video on Aug. 25 and released it Tuesday in response to OU President Roderick McDavis' issuing her the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Marzec said the threats directed at her have consisted of "a whole slew of very vile things." The examples she showed The Post ridiculed her as a woman, among other insults.
"It's clear to me that my video was not anti-Semitic," she told The Post. "Any reframing of the video is caused by outrage that I am standing in solidarity with oppressed Palestinians."
OU administrators have mostly toed a neutral line on Marzec's video. On Thursday, McDavis released a campus-wide email saying Marzec's comments do not reflect his views, or the university's, while calling for civility.
"The manner in which we conduct ourselves as we exercise our right to free speech is of utmost importance," he said.
Marzec expressed dissatisfaction with a tweet sent by Jenny Hall-Jones, dean of students, on Thursday.
On Thursday evening, Hall-Jones tweeted: "Thankful for the grace, strength, leadership and support of @RabbiDanielle We are so lucky to have her as a member of our #community." She was referring to Danielle Leshaw, a rabbi and the executive director of Hillel at OU.
"For both me and Dr. Hall-Jones, the safety of all Ohio University students is always paramount," Lombardi said in an email. "That is why I coordinated a meeting with OUPD and the Student Senate president yesterday afternoon to provide resources and support. It is also why we met with additional students from Bobcats for Israel and AEPi last night on campus. Regardless of how we personally feel about any student's behavior or opinions, we will always support their safety and security."
Meanwhile, Marzec said senate is functioning normally and effectively. Caitlyn McDaniel, senate's vice president, who also ran with her on the Restart ticket last spring, agreed.
"I'm very proud of everyone in Senate and how they handled this very tough week," McDaniel said. "I think a successful democracy has any sort of divide. I encourage respectful dialogue, even sometimes when it is in disagreement."
Carter Phillips, senate's treasurer who ran on the ONE ticket last spring, declined to comment for this article.
— Alisa Warren contributed to this report.
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Clarification: An earlier version of this article suggested Marzec was unhappy with overall support from OU's administrators, including Lombardi. She was specifically unhappy with a tweet sent by Hall-Jones.
