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After taking heat from his student body and some members of staff for "liking" tweets from multiple prominent conservatives, Thomas Jefferson University President Mark Tykocinski stepped down from his post.
In late July, the school’s CEO Joseph G. Cacchione emailed the Pennsylvania university community to announce that Tykocinski would be resigning as school president "to focus on his research and clinical translation efforts," and returning to his role as a full-time professor.
The news came less than three months after the then-president generated backlash on campus for liking tweets published by Donald Trump, Jr., and journalist Alex Berenson, among others.
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These tweets included ones critical of Big Pharma, the COVID-19 vaccine and some transgender medical procedures.
The president of Thomas Jefferson University stepped down from his position in late July several months after angering faculty and students for his conservative social media activity. (John Greim/Getty)
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported on the school president’s "like" history shortly before the school reprimanded him for it, Tykocinski had "liked" over 30 posts from Berenson, a journalist who has been critical of COVID-19 safety protocols and the vaccines.
Following the Inquirer’s story, Cacchione rebuked the president in an email that was sent to the university’s faculty, employees and students, writing,, "At his level, he is held to a higher standard and should have known better."
After the dressing down, Tykocinski, who has worked at the school for 16 years, apologized. In a statement he gave to the Inquirer, he said, "I regret my lack of understanding of how ‘liking’ a tweet is an implied endorsement. I also regret how my lack of understanding of the Twitter platform caused some to question my views on these complex issues."
Despite the apology, a group of liberal students from the university’s medical college wrote an open letter to the CEO and the school board of trustees, blasting the president for "liking" a tweet critical of the trans agenda.
Tykocinski was grilled for "liking" tweets from journalist Alex Berenson, a reporter who has raised concerns about the COVID vaccine. (Fox News)
Additionally, the letter claimed that Tykocinski’s actions were evidence that the school had an issue protecting diversity.
The letter was shared on Instagram by the account "jefflgbtq" (Jefferson LGBTQ), It stated, "We, the student leaders of various minority groups at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, are writing to express our collective concerns regarding President Mark Tykocinski’s recent social media activity."
It continued, "While we understand that Dr. Tykocinski has since issued a statement clarifying his intentions, we believe this incident represents a broader issue concerning this institution’s lack of diversity and inclusion."
After Cacchione announced Tykocinski’s resignation, The Inquirer reported that multiple students and faculty members were "relieved and pleased" over the decision.
One anonymous medical student told the paper, "It was one of the outcomes that we wanted."
Fox News Digital reached out to Thomas Jefferson University to confirm whether the school encouraged Tykocinski’s resignation based on his social media activity. The school did not immediately respond.
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Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
