A Kent State professor is under investigation by the FBI for planning to join ISIS. Julio Pino, an associate history professor at Kent, has been under investigation for over a year now by the FBI after it was discovered that he was planning to become an ISIS fighter and was working to recruit students for the terrorist group.
A Kent State professor is under investigation for having ties to ISIS. According to reports, Julio Pino, an associate history professor at Kent State University, is being investigated by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
The investigation into Mr. Pino’s activities began about a year and a half ago, reports local media. It is believed that the controversial professor has attempted to join ISIS, and he also has been talking to some of his students about becoming part of the Salafi-jihadist militant group.
Emily Mills, the editor of the Kent Stater, the independent newspaper on campus at Kent State University, who has been reporting on the professor’s long list of controversial actions and writings, is not surprised by the news. Mills said:
“One of the things he is most known for is shouting ‘death to Israel’ during an Israeli diplomat’s lecture.”
Mills, a senior at Kent, said the FBI interviewed her. She added:
“They contacted me and asked questions about Professor Pino. They interviewed me and from there gave me permission to publish the information.”
The associate professor denied any connection to ISIS when speaking with Mills for her article. Kent State University’s spokesman Eric Mansfield issued a statement saying that they are cooperating with authorities. Mansfield explained:
“Kent State is fully cooperating with the FBI. As this is an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment. The FBI has assured Kent State that there is no threat to campus.”
The Cleveland Division of the FBI confirms that there is an investigation, but would not reveal much. The authorities said:
“It is in regards to an ongoing investigation therefore, additional information cannot be provided at this time.”
Pino denied connections to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria by quoting Taylor Swift:
“I’ve never broken the law. I support no violence or violent organizations. One man or one woman’s interpretation of events can be very different from another’s. As they say, ‘Haters gonna hate.’ Truth always prevails, and truth will prevail in this case.”
As stated above the Kent State professor currently under investigation has made few bizarre moves in the past. In 2002, he wrote a column in the Kent Stater eulogizing an 18-year-old suicide bomber. In 2005 and 2006, he wrote letters blasting America’s policies in the Middle East.
In 2009, he was interrogated by the Secret Service about his beliefs. In 2011, he shouted “Death to Israel!” at a public lecture by a former Israeli diplomat. In 2014, he claimed that America and Israel caused the deaths of 1,400 Palestinians.
What are your thoughts on the Kent State professor’s investigation?
