McMaster University professor, Hamilton doctor Eva Lonn slammed for racist 'deport them all' comment about pro-Palestine protesters

Canadians are calling on McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., to take action against a professor and cardiologist, Eva Lonn, for degrading comments she made on LinkedIn about protesters at a Palestinian support rally in New York City.

Lonn, who is the medical director of cardiac health and rehabilitation at McMaster University, commented on a New York Post article shared on Linkedin, covering a pro-Palestinian protest in Brooklyn.

“Deport them all to where they came from,” Lonn’s comment on the LinkedIn post read.

Lonn 'deeply sorry,' deletes X account

Following the backlash to her comment on LinkedIn, Lonn issued an apology on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming the comments had been made in the “heat of the moment.”

“I am deeply sorry for the pain my recent comments on social media have caused. Regardless of my intent, the harm inflicted was real and undeniable. I wholeheartedly apologize for my poorly worded and problematic statement,” Lonn wrote, though her account, @EvaLonn1, now appears to be deleted.

Lonn’s apology seemingly failed to make up for the damage her words caused.

“Her apology rings hollow and her claim that she supports international students therefore demonstrates a commitment to equity sounds like ‘I have a Muslim friend’,” posted a social media user.

McMaster University told Yahoo News Canada the institute is currently reviewing the matter.

“The post does not align with our values in advancing inclusive excellence or responsibilities as healthcare educators and professionals. We are committed to a diverse community which includes members from equity-deserving groups and newcomers to Canada,” the university’s media relations team shared in a statement.

“This matter is being reviewed by the university in alignment with university policies and will be addressed in a timely way and according to these policies. All parties involved have the right to confidentiality. As such, employment matters are not discussed on a specific case basis.”

The university response came after an increasing number of calls from Canadians demanding the institute hold Lonn accountable.

“How she is still working in public service is beyond comprehension,” commented a user on X.

Another user added: “[People] losing their jobs over the mildest pushback on Israeli propaganda as they commit international war crimes on a [besieged] population, and then we have medical directors and McMaster professors like Eva Lonn going full mask-off racist on Arabs and immigrants here.”

The call for action from social media users grew even stronger after Lonn’s posts throughout the years showed a pattern of "abhorrent" comments about racialized communities, including calling COVID-19 the "Wuhan virus."

Yahoo News Canada reached out to Lonn but received no response at the time of this publication.

In a public statement shared on Oct. 31, McMaster University President and Vice-Chancellor David Farrar urged community during this "difficult time."

“While we respect differing views, emotions are raw for many and we hope that everyone will be empathetic and carefully consider the impact that their words and actions, in person, on social media or in print, can have on members of our community. There is no room for Antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, harassment, professional misconduct or discrimination at McMaster,” the statement reads.