The Michigan State University professor who stripped off his clothes and ran out of his classroom and into the hallway screaming "There is no f*cking God!" doesn't remember a thing.
John McCarthy, a mathematics professor at MSU, was apprehended for his Oct. 1 outburst on campus in which he went on a rant, screaming and swearing at students, reportedly shouting about Steve Jobs, God and religion. MLive.com reports McCarthy spoke about it publicly for the first time in an email sent on his behalf to his Calculus I class' 31 students, and apologized for the incident.
"The incident that occurred Monday was unfortunate," McCarthy wrote. "Although I do not remember what happened, I have been told that I may have caused distress among my students during Monday's class. For this I am truly sorry."
Since McCarthy's apparent meltdown, his students have been reassigned to classes with other professors in MSU's math department.
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon spoke about the incident at a meeting of the MSU Steering Committee last week, calling it "disturbing." Simon also noted things were complicated because students shared what was happening quickly through social media.
"The complication of social media, with everyone with a camera and a cell phone, is one that we continue to struggle with in terms of information because the event would not, under (normal) circumstances, trigger one set of alerts," Simon said. "There's also the need for more crisp communication about what the outcome was. Whether that would have controlled some of the rumors, tweets and other things, I’m not quite sure.”
McCarthy was taken to a hospital following his outburst and did not have charges pressed against him. MSU has not decided what, if any, personnel action will be taken against McCarthy.
McCarthy's condition is reportedly improving.