School officials at William Paterson University in New Jersey, are reviewing videos that show a sociology professor telling students that the Apollo moon landing was faked, and promoting other conspiracy theories.
Professor Tells Class About Conspiracy Theories
Freshman student Benny Koval, from Fair Lawn, said that she decided to take videos of the lectures after Professor Clyde Magarelli told things in class that she described as questionable, some of which made her comfortable as a Jew.
The 18-year-old said that besides denying the moon landings, Magarelli also brought up conspiracy theories that deflated the number of Jews who died during the Holocaust, suggested that the Irish were the first slaves in America, and that the Native Americans are not indigenous people.
Koval posted the videos of Magarelli on Twitter commenting how the professor wasted his time and money. She said that she decided not to file complaint paperwork since she would be required by the university to agree to a "quasi-gag order." She also admitted that some students shunned her actions and have been calling her names like "Hitler."
"Never in my life did I imagine myself tweeting "my Sociology professor thinks the moon landing was faked", but here we are," Koval tweeted. "Clyde Magarelli presents unfounded conspiracy theories as facts at our public university."
A video showed the professor telling the students that there are currently no mechanical systems that are capable of landing on the moon.
Earlier Complaints
It also appears that the professor has long been telling students about conspiracy theories. Comments left on the Ratemyprofessors.com, which allows students to assign rating to their professors, show earlier complaints about the questionable facts Magarelli teaches
"This man will not teach you anything but conspiracies without any backup evidence to support what he says," one reviewer wrote.
"He makes up historical facts and sells this as the truth! Claims the inquisition did not kill people, that some terrorist organizations are not terrorist at all, that 9/11 is the Air force's fault."
The university has already investigated the professor in 1994. According to the university newspaper at the time, the professor distributed handout that taught that the more realistic number of Jews who died during the holocaust was between 700,000 and 800,000 when the actual number is around 6 million. He allegedly said that far more Jews died in factories that in death camps.
Magarelli also claimed that he was a former U.S. spy.
