Rutgers professor slammed for forcing students to wear Covid face masks in his lectures years after pandemic

An morals prof astatine a apical New Jersey assemblage has implemented a 'non-negotiable' disguise mandate for his lectures implicit the 'threat' of Covid. 

Dr Jerry Piven, who is listed arsenic an adjunct teaching prof astatine Rutgers University sent an email to students the time earlier people was scheduled to statesman that included a people masking policy. It was published, successful part, connected X without his knowledge. 

It reads: 'And if you've looked astatine the syllabus oregon people announcements, you'll cognize that it's people argumentation to deterioration masks to people until reliable grounds shows that Covid is nary longer a threat.

'Per the nexus I sent, it is inactive a threat. People are inactive going to exigency rooms, dying, and having protracted symptoms from agelong Covid that past for years and tin beryllium debilitating.'

The nexus Dr Piven references was not included successful the email screenshot oregon accompanying tweet, but information from the CDC shows play Covid deaths person been connected the wide diminution since September and stay astatine historical lows, with astir 500 deaths per week successful January.

For comparison, astatine the January 2021 highest of America's pandemic, astir 25,000 radical were dying per week.

Dr Piven's email continues: 'If you find it odious to deterioration a disguise for an hr truthful arsenic not to perchance sicken others, I counsel you to see the morals and statement them successful class.

'If connected the different hand, you don't attraction astir the grounds oregon radical getting sick (and adjacent dying), you are ever escaped to find a people that amended suits you. Naturally I'd similar you stay, but for present you person the state to enroll successful the classes of your choice.

'But the mask mandate is non-negotiable. Hope to spot you tomorrow.' 

Rutgers University has 3 locations passim New Jersey and has consistently been ranked arsenic a apical nationalist assemblage successful the federation - reaching the fig 15 spot successful the astir caller rankings.

It enrolls much than 69,000 students crossed its 3 campuses. For New Jersey residents, the 2024-2025 tuition ranges from $17,250 to $33,640. Tuition for non-New Jersey residents ranges from $36,760 to $53,155.

A screenshot of the email was posted on X by the relationship New Jersey Project. It is unclear however the relationship obtained a transcript of the email.

Dr Piven confirmed to DailyMail.com helium was down the email and doubled down connected his stance.

He added: 'This disguise mandate is based connected existent reports showing that Covid is inactive hospitalizing people, and accruing grounds that agelong Covid poses superior wellness risks. 

'It is based connected the proposal of virologists and bioethicists who corroborate that Covid is inactive dangerous. And fixed the concentrated clump of students, the communicability of caller variants that flight vaccine protections, it seemed similar a omniscient precaution retired of interest for the students.'

Dr Piven told DailyMail.com his disguise mandate is 'not tyranny. It’s profound ethical interest for the lives of others.' 

He added: 'When the technological information indicates that Covid nary longer poses a threat, I volition happily cancel the mandate.

'But arsenic of now, the conception that Covid isn’t a menace is simply not supported by empirical evidence, and is alternatively a phantasy oregon signifier of denial.'

Face masks became a politically divisive taxable during the Covid pandemic, with Republicans mostly shunning them and Democrats mostly embracing them, contempt conflicting probe connected the masks' efficacy successful preventing Covid.

On Rutgers University's website Dr Piven is listed arsenic teaching 2 courses successful the Department of Philosophy - Phenomenology and Existentialism and Introduction to Ethics.

The 2025 outpouring semester is listed arsenic having commenced connected January 21. 

The X relationship which primitively shared a screenshot of Dr Piven's disguise email posted the caption: 'Rutgers University prof playing the disguise game. Of people this is simply a doctrine teacher. Dr Piven seemingly doesn't thatch aesculapian ethics.'

It is not known whether either of these courses are required classes for immoderate majors, but Introduction to Ethics is listed arsenic an enactment among required courses for a insignificant successful Medical Ethics and Health Policy. 

There are six different options for this people offered astatine different times with antithetic professors. 

Dr Piven's email comes arsenic the CDC reported 445 deaths successful the week ending January 11 and a 6.6 percent trial positivity rate. 

Covid was liable for 1.25 percent of exigency section visits successful the week ending January 4. 

Meanwhile, agelong Covid is an amorphous information made up of a constellation of symptoms from encephalon fog and fatigue to bosom inflammation and associated pain.  

An estimated 17 cardinal Americans person agelong Covid, which manifests otherwise successful each person.

Some radical whitethorn lone acquisition shortness of enactment and fatigue, portion others whitethorn acquisition encephalon fog and trouble concentrating.

Dr Piven said helium did not cognize the X relationship tweeted a information of the email and does not cognize however the relationship obtained a transcript of it.  

Rutgers University states connected its website: 'Face coverings are not required astatine the assemblage but are welcomed.'

Additionally, the schoolhouse 'no longer requires students, faculty, staff, and assemblage affiliates to beryllium immunized against the Covid-19 virus.' 

Dr Piven told this website: 'My disguise mandate besides explicitly respects the state of students to take different classes that they deem much suitable. No 1 is forcing them to instrumentality this class, and I respect their close to enroll successful classes that accord with their ain consciousness of state and liberty. 

'But 1 happening important to ethical principles is the interest for others, not conscionable oneself. So if the disposable information indicates that a illness tin beryllium easy communicable, perchance dangerous, and airs semipermanent wellness risks, I volition mandate the elemental and comparatively painless caution that students deterioration a astir weightless disguise for an hr per day.'