We have been covering the story of a University of North Carolina professor who was threatened with death after revealing athletes’ shockingly low reading levels.

The Huffington Post has her response to the threats:

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill reading specialist Mary Willingham struck back Thursday at critics regarding her research suggesting dozens of student athletes were under-prepared and read at an elementary-level.

“I don’t believe until we tell the truth that we can move forward,” Willingham said in a HuffPost Live segment.

Willingham’s research showing 8 percent of a sample of UNC students playing football and basketball were reading at a 3rd grade level was at the center of a recent CNN report. It has since reignited an athletic academic scandal that’s continued for 3 years now.

The university already admitted to academic fraud in the African and Afro-American studies department, and that fake classes were held. However, it has attacked Willingham’s research as flawed while at the same time admitting shortcomings.

“It’s just the same response that we’ve been seeing here for the past 3 years,” Willingham said, adding, “We just can’t seem to be fully transparent.”

UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt, who only took office in 2013, admitted to UNC trustees last week that the flagship university failed students for years with a lack of academic oversight.

“This, too, was wrong. And it has undermined our integrity and our reputation,” Folt said.