Physical sciences professor Thomas Brennan announced the firing on Twitter followed by a confirmation to The Detroit News by Ferris State University.

Brennan was placed on administrative leave in November 2020 for his comments, according to a message Ferris State University President David L. Eisler sent on Nov. 23, 2020, to the campus.

His posts included the N-word regarding Neil deGrasse Tyson, a homophobic slur, COVID-19 denial, and comments about a "Jewish mafia" and COVID-19 being a "(J)ewish revolution," according to a report from The Torch, the university's student newspaper.

Brennan also disrupted a Zoom meeting in August 2020, saying COVID-19 was a "leftist stunt" and the death rates were "exaggerated," Eisler said in his message.

In a November statement in response to the university's actions, Brennan defended using the N-word, saying he was trying to "neutralize its power," and fought back against the allegations of denying science and being antisemitic.

He further defended the offensive language in a post on his Twitter - “My defense is that I was acting out and speaking out of despair caused by a personal crisis involving extremely painful migraines, emf [electromagnetic field] sensitivity and a series of repeated break-ins into my home," Brennan said.

“I believe that I am a targeted individual. I am one of thousands of Americans from all walks of life who claim to be victims of a secret program that harasses people, breaks into their homes, and uses emf along with bio, neuro, or nano-technologies to poison and torture their targets.”