US professor fired after machete threat to New York Post reporter

A Hunter College prof has been fired aft threatening a New York Post newsman and a lensman with a machete.

The journalists were trying to talk to Shellyne Rodriguez astir an incidental successful which she criticised anti-abortion activists connected campus, the Post said.

Ms Rodriguez followed them onto the thoroughfare with the machete, video showed.

Hunter College, portion of the City University of New York, confirmed she had been "relieved of her duties".

The reporter, Reuven Fenton, on with a photographer, went to Ms Rodriguez's code successful an effort to talk with her aft a viral video showed her criticising anti-abortion students astatine the university.

According to the Post, she shouted: "Get... distant from my door, oregon I'm going chop you up with this machete."

The Post's article connected the incident says "she held the machete to the reporter's neck" aft opening the door.

The reporters said they near instantly but were followed by Ms Rodriguez onto the thoroughfare - with the consequent enactment caught connected a car dashcam and published by the Post.

Hunter College spokesperson Vince Dimiceli told BBC News: "Hunter College powerfully condemns the unacceptable actions of Shellyne Rodriguez and has taken contiguous action.

"Rodriguez has been relieved of her duties astatine Hunter College effectual immediately, and volition not beryllium returning to thatch astatine the school."

The New York Post, meanwhile, told the BBC it was "glad the newsman is safe".

In the archetypal viral video that the Post was seeking remark on, Ms Rodriguez approaches an accusation stall tally by Students for Life, a radical of much than 120,000 young anti-abortion Americans who privation to extremity entree to abortion.

"You're not educating... This is... propaganda," she tells the students present. "This is violent. You're triggering my students."

In an expletive-filled rant, she past demands their removal and shoves pamphlets disconnected the array earlier walking away, the viral video showed.

A New York Police Department spokesperson confirmed an incidental took place, but said it was inactive nether investigation.

Ms Rodriguez has been approached for comment.