James “JT” Thomas, a sociology professor at the University of Mississippi, posted a photo on the social media app Bluesky of seashells arranged to read “86 47” while he said he was calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, Mississippi Today reported. The post drew calls from conservative officials and activists for the university to fire him.
Thomas told Mississippi Today he used the phrase “eighty-six” in its hospitality-industry sense, meaning to discard something, and that he was not advocating violence. The image resembled one former FBI Director James Comey posted to Instagram last May and later deleted; a federal grand jury subsequently indicted Comey on charges that include threatening to take the life of, or inflict bodily harm upon, the president and transmitting a threat across state lines, according to court filings.
State Auditor Shad White shared Thomas’s post about 30 minutes after it appeared and asked on social media, “What are the consequences for this, Ole Miss?” Secretary of State Michael Watson reposted the image and tagged FBI Director Kash Patel, the FBI, the Department of Justice and Justice Department official Harmeet Dhillon, Mississippi Today reported. School-choice activist Corey DeAngelis also shared the post. A university spokesman did not respond to Mississippi Today’s requests for comment, the outlet said.
Thomas said he was not worried about being fired and told Mississippi Today he had not received any requests from the university to silence his speech. The episode revived a prior clash between Thomas and White: in 2020, White accused Thomas of violating a state law that bars strikes after Thomas participated in a national “Scholar Strike” protesting racial injustice. White demanded Thomas be fired and have his pay docked, and auditor’s office agents later subpoenaed his emails and classroom materials, Mississippi Today reported. Thomas, represented by the Mississippi Center for Justice, filed a defamation lawsuit against White that is pending in Hinds County Circuit Court.
The post came days after what federal authorities described as an assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Mississippi Today reported. Critics of the auditor’s actions and recent university disciplinary decisions say the episode illustrates a chilling effect on campus speech. Wendy Goldberg of the United Campus Workers of Mississippi said the firing of a university employee over a private social media post and subsequent online attacks have made faculty uneasy, and Patricia McCourt, a union organizer, pointed to similar disputes across the Southeast.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
