On April 17, 2018, on the death of former first lady Barbara Bush, Jarrar described her as "an amazing racist" and boasted that she will "never be fired" for her harsh words, because she had tenure at Fresno State University.[9] Jarrar responded to condemnatory replies by saying "I'm happy the witch is dead".[10] She was widely criticized for her actions, though these tweets can no longer be viewed as the account is now private.[11] Fresno State president Joseph Castro responded to widespread public outrage, saying "“Professor Jarrar’s expressed personal views and commentary are obviously contrary to the core values of our University, which include respect and empathy for individuals with divergent points of view".[1] Fresno State confirmed that she was on leave from the university at the time the controversial comments were made.[1]