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James “JT” Thomas said he was calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump on Tuesday when he posted a picture of seashells arranged to say “86 47” on the social media app Bluesky.
Thomas, a sociology professor at the University of Mississippi, said he worked in the hospitality industry between 2002 and 2011, and among restaurant staff, to “eighty-six” something means to discard it.
The image, which former FBI Director James Comey posted to his Instagram account last May and later deleted, spurred a federal investigation and charges of threatening the president. In slang, “eighty-six” can mean “to kill.” On Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted Comey on charges of threatening to “take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon” Trump and transmitting a threat across state lines.
Comey is “a private citizen” with a constitutionally protected right of free speech, Thomas said.
Thomas’ post spurred calls from some politically conservative circles for Ole Miss to fire him.
James Thomas, a sociology professor at the University of Mississippi, shared on social media an image that had led the Justice Department to investigate former FBI Director James Comey. Thomas shared his post the same day Comey was indicted.
State Auditor Shad White shared Thomas’ post Tuesday, about 30 minutes after it was posted, with the question, “What are the consequences for this, Ole Miss?”
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Secretary of State Michael Watson reposted Thomas and tagged FBI Director Kash Patel, the FBI, the Department of Justice and Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights. Watson said, of Thomas, the agencies and officials “may want to check in on him.”
Corey DeAngelis, a school choice activist and right-wing influencer, shared Thomas’ post to X and tagged Ole Miss, asking, “What is your response?”
As of Thursday, university officials have not publicly addressed the issue. A university spokesman did not respond to Mississippi Today’s requests for comment.
Thomas told Mississippi Today he’s not afraid of being fired.
“I have not received any blowback from the university or suggestions to keep my mouth shut,” Thomas said.
State auditor, professor clash again over political speech
This clash is not the first between Thomas and White.
In September 2020, Thomas participated in a national “Scholar Strike” where faculty at universities across the country protested police brutality and racial inequality. Thomas, who referred to the event on social media as a “work stoppage,” participated in the protests around racial injustice.
White sent a letter to Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce accusing Thomas of breaking state law, which bars state employees from going on strike. White demanded the university fire Thomas and dock his pay by about $2,000. Auditor’s office agents also visited Thomas’ home to ask about the protests and subpoena his emails and classroom materials.
Thomas, who is represented by the Mississippi Center for Justice, filed a defamation lawsuit against White arguing that he did not violate the law and arranged his “weekly lesson plans” to cover missed times and that his actions were protected. The lawsuit is pending in Hinds County Circuit Court.
Thomas’ Bluesky post referencing Comey also came after what federal authorities describe as an assasination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday.
White declined a request for an interview with Mississippi Today. Jacob Walters, a spokesperson for the auditor’s office, said in an email that state taxpayers are funding the salary of a professor who posted “insane” messages online after the attack.
“Everyone is entitled to free speech, but you also face consequences for that speech,” Walters said.
Thomas said White doesn’t understand the importance of First Amendment rights and free speech. White “hitched his wagon to Trump’s train” and supports attacking higher education and academic freedom, Thomas said.
Free speech backlash sparks a ‘chilling effect’ on college campuses
Boyce, the Ole Miss chancellor, fired Lauren Stokes, a former executive assistant in the development office, after she shared a post on her private Instagram account criticizing political stances of far-right activist Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated.
The university did not identify Stokes, but on X, White alluded to Stokes as the employee who was fired and reshared her post about Kirk.
Firing Stokes, and the online social media attacks she received, made many university professors and faculty feel uneasy, said Wendy Goldberg, a leader of the labor union, United Campus Workers of Mississippi. Stokes’ firing also generated uncertainty for employees about what they can say on their social media accounts.
“There’s a clear chilling effect on campus right now about things you can say or express their opinions on matters,” Goldberg said. “People are much more scared to say things and, to be honest, that’s the point.”
The University of Mississippi in Oxford, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today
With Stokes’ firing, union members are also afraid to organize, rally or march in protests, Goldberg said.
There have been numerous attacks on academic freedom and free speech at universities and college campuses across the Southeast, said Patricia McCourt, an organizer with United Campus Workers Southeast Local 3821.
In Georgia, union members are organizing to demand the state Board of Regents to revoke its decision to create a public syllabi or a searchable database that links faculty members’ names, courses and detailed calendar information.
Attacks on academic freedom have a trickle-down effect for everyone on campus, including students, McCourt said.
For Goldberg, White’s response to Thomas and his demand for the university to respond should concern all Mississippians.
“It’s a bad sign because the university is supposed to be a space for the free exchange of ideas and self-expression,” Goldberg said. “Attacking the university is a bad model for leadership in the state.”
