A tenured associate professor of history at Kent State University in Ohio is under investigation for potential ties to ISIS. From KentWired:
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating Julio Pino, a Kent State associate history professor, for alleged involvement with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIl.A joint terrorism task force has been investigating Pino for the last year and a half, said an FBI special agent who did not wish to be named for safety reasons......The agent said they interviewed several faculty members and more than 20 of Pino’s students Tuesday about his alleged involvement. He is also being investigated for allegedly recruiting students to join ISIS.
The agent said there is "no direct threat" to the university.
Pino, who is teaching two classes this semester at Kent, told KentWired on Tuesday that he has not been notified of an investigation by either the FBI or Homeland Security, nor has he been contacted by them.
“From a legal standpoint, I’m not aware that they’re going after me or charging me with anything,” he said. “I’m not aware of any kind of criminal investigation or charges or anything of that sort.”
In the interview Pino said all of his activities are legal and that he has never discussed the Islamic State in his classes.
Asked if he would say he's a supporter of the Islamic State Pino answered, "No, I would not say that."
"I have not violated any U.S. laws that I'm aware of—that anyone has told me."
Despite Pino's protestations, a series of entries on social media last fall seemed to indicate that he is, indeed, an Islamic State sympathizer. In November I wrote about Pino's frightening Facebook posts declaring his solidarity with ISIS, along with posts displaying open anti-Semitism:
In what seems to be an escalation of his previous public comments, tenured Kent State University professor Julio Pino is using his personal Facebook page not only to post anti-Semitic epithets and threats, but also to declare his solidarity with the terrorist group ISIS.In August, we saw the incendiary, anti-Semitic Facebook posts by Pino, the Cuban-born associate history professor who converted to Islam in 2000. Dr. Pino's posts supported Hamas, made vile, racist comments about Jews and Israelis, and even seemed to support ISIS. Pino, who has a long history of anti-Semitic behavior, also vowed that he wouldn't work with fellow staff members who supported Israel: “Collaborate with no one who collaborates with Israel, and let her or him know why. I have started with the head of our ‘Religious Studies’ program, who sends student-dupes to Israel every year." Pino remains employed by the taxpayer-supported university and it seems he has been emboldened by the cover Kent State is providing for him.In a post this week, he declared, "We will wage jihad from al-Quds to Canada!" Pino posted this comment, along with a video from Russia Today (the state-funded news outlet) showing allegedly "uncut" footage of the "bloody caliphate" in Iraq.In another post with a link to a YouTube video warning of a possible Islamic State attack in New York City, Pino calls a Canadian jihadist his brother: "Canadian Brother from ISIS 'We love being attacked! We seek martyrdom!'"
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