Mike Adams, a sociology and criminology professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, tweeted in late May that he “felt like a free man who was not living in the slave state of North Carolina,” after dining with six people.

He concluded the social media update by saying: “Massa Cooper, let my people go!”

‘Cooper’ was a reference to Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s Democratic governor. Adams has been vocal about lifting the state’s stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic and was referring to the executive order signed, according to his tweet.

A few days after the tweet went viral, four Change.org petitions were drawn up calling for the professor’s firing. “(Adams) has a long history of espousing racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and abusive rhetoric. There have been previous demands to remove him, however he remains,” one petition read.

Another accused the university of hypocrisy after promoting diversity and inclusivity, while hiring someone who “threatens, belittles, bullies, and acts in an unprofessional manner.”

Meanwhile, One Tree Hill alum Sophia Bush took to Twitter on June 8 to voice her concern. She called on fans to join the fight in Wilmington, where the drama was filmed for nine years.

“How do you employ this person?!? The racism and misogyny are atrocious. This feels like another change for Wilmington that the #OTHfam could make some noise about,” she wrote.

Hilarie Burton-Morgan has been vocal about Wilmington events. On June 8, she called for the renaming of Hugh MacRae Park, named for one of the leaders of the Wilmington Race Riot of 1898.

Burton-Morgan also noted on Twitter on June 9 that she plans on discouraging people from attending the university “until Adams is removed.”

“His harassment+hostility towards women is unconscionable,” she wrote.

In a statement sent to McClatchy News on June 5, a representative of the university said: “We are listening to the outrage being expressed regarding the vile and inexcusable comments made by a UNCW faculty member. However, we are not just listening; we can confirm we are very carefully and assertively reviewing our options in terms of how to proceed. We are not able to comment further at this time, as this is a personnel matter.”

The UNCW professor has a history of controversy surrounding him. In 2018, Adams was not allowed to visit the University of Montana, as members of the school’s faculty wrote that he had “a long record of mocking, demeaning and verbally attacking women, people of color, members of the Islamic faith and the LGBTQ community,” according to The News & Observer.

Additionally, in 2016, Adams wrote an article published in The Daily Wire about a student activist titled “A ‘Queer Muslim’ Jihad.” Ultimately, the student transferred schools, The News & Observer reported.

Though Adams wasn’t specifically mentioned, UNCW called the the professor’s latest remarks “vile” in a statement. “No matter how upsetting and distasteful the comments may be, they are expressions of free speech and protected by the First Amendment,” the school said.

Newsweek did not receive comment from the University of North Carolina at the time of publication.