TORONTO — A Toronto Metropolitan University professor is facing scrutiny from Jewish and pro-Israel groups after a series of social media posts and replies, widely circulated online, were attributed to her account and included the phrase “Death to the IDF” alongside other political statements. Dr. Jacqui Gingras is listed on the university’s sociology faculty webpage and is currently on leave for the Fall 2025 term.
Screenshots and links shared by the monitor account Leviathan show posts and replies by an account identified as @GingrasRochelle referencing “Death to the IDF.” These posts have been amplified by multiple pro-Israel community accounts, who argue they amount to calls for violence against individuals who serve in the Israeli military. Gingras’s publicly available Instagram profile also features explicit statements such as “Let’s be socialists, comrades” and “Free Palestine,” which community monitors say reinforce an overtly political and activist persona.
Those sharing the screenshots contend that when inflammatory language is combined with the circulation of lists or profiles of Israeli personnel, there are urgent public safety implications. At the time of publication, Gingras’s Instagram and public posts remained accessible online.
Jewish advocacy groups and independent monitors in Toronto expressed alarm at what they characterize as dehumanizing rhetoric directed at Israelis, warning that such language could encourage threats or intimidation against Canadian residents. Some community accounts further accuse Gingras of promoting or sharing databases of Israeli soldiers living in Canada.
Toronto Metropolitan University continues to list Dr. Gingras on departmental and program pages. According to university information, she is on leave this term and, as of yet, the school has not issued any public statement addressing the reported social media activity flagged by activists and advocacy groups.
Observers and legal experts emphasize that context is critical, and academics exercising political speech have a responsibility to recognize limits where advocacy may cross into the endorsement of violence. “Critique of governments and policies is legitimate. But public statements advocating the death of any class of people defined by national service crosses a line into threats and intimidation,” a Toronto Jewish organization representative commented.
Legal experts note the distinction under Canadian law between protected political expression and illegal threats. Canadian criminal law criminalizes threats and intimidation, but also protects robust debate. Community leaders said that, to date, they have not filed criminal complaints regarding Gingras’s posts, but are consulting legal advisers and encouraging anyone who feels targeted to document incidents and contact police.
Jewish and pro-Israel groups now call on Toronto Metropolitan University to review the situation, clarify whether the posts violate campus policies, and announce what actions will be taken to ensure the safety of Jewish and Israeli students and staff.
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This article is based on verified information from Toronto Metropolitan University faculty pages, the Instagram and X posts referenced in public social media accounts, and publicly posted community and activist screening of the material.