diff --git a/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/user_profile.coffee b/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/user_profile.coffee
deleted file mode 100644
index 9f0600dd1d..0000000000
--- a/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/user_profile.coffee
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-if Backbone?
-  class @DiscussionUserProfileView extends Backbone.View
-    toggleModeratorStatus: (event) ->
-      confirmValue = confirm("Are you sure?")
-      if not confirmValue then return
-      $elem = $(event.target)
-      if $elem.hasClass("sidebar-promote-moderator-button")
-        isModerator = true
-      else if $elem.hasClass("sidebar-revoke-moderator-button")
-        isModerator = false
-      else
-        console.error "unrecognized moderator status"
-        return
-      url = DiscussionUtil.urlFor('update_moderator_status', $$profiled_user_id)
-      DiscussionUtil.safeAjax
-        $elem: $elem
-        url: url
-        type: "POST"
-        dataType: 'json'
-        data:
-          is_moderator: isModerator
-        error: (response, textStatus, e) ->
-          console.log e
-        success: (response, textStatus) =>
-          parent = @$el.parent()
-          @$el.replaceWith(response.html)
-          view = new DiscussionUserProfileView el: parent.children(".user-profile")
-
-    events:
-      "click .sidebar-toggle-moderator-button": "toggleModeratorStatus"
diff --git a/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/utils.coffee b/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/utils.coffee
index 466beff419..a85e4f0eaa 100644
--- a/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/utils.coffee
+++ b/common/static/coffee/src/discussion/utils.coffee
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ class @DiscussionUtil
       tags_autocomplete       : "/courses/#{$$course_id}/discussion/threads/tags/autocomplete"
       retrieve_discussion     : "/courses/#{$$course_id}/discussion/forum/#{param}/inline"
       retrieve_single_thread  : "/courses/#{$$course_id}/discussion/forum/#{param}/threads/#{param1}"
-      update_moderator_status : "/courses/#{$$course_id}/discussion/users/#{param}/update_moderator_status"
       openclose_thread        : "/courses/#{$$course_id}/discussion/threads/#{param}/close"
       permanent_link_thread   : "/courses/#{$$course_id}/discussion/forum/#{param}/threads/#{param1}"
       permanent_link_comment  : "/courses/#{$$course_id}/discussion/forum/#{param}/threads/#{param1}##{param2}"
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/urls.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/urls.py
index 5b653e1c68..97ba282db2 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/urls.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/urls.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ from django.conf.urls.defaults import url, patterns
 
 urlpatterns = patterns('django_comment_client.base.views',  # nopep8
     url(r'upload$', 'upload', name='upload'),
-    url(r'users/(?P<user_id>\w+)/update_moderator_status$', 'update_moderator_status', name='update_moderator_status'),
     url(r'threads/tags/autocomplete$', 'tags_autocomplete', name='tags_autocomplete'),
     url(r'threads/(?P<thread_id>[\w\-]+)/update$', 'update_thread', name='update_thread'),
     url(r'threads/(?P<thread_id>[\w\-]+)/reply$', 'create_comment', name='create_comment'),
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/views.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/views.py
index 0e0bedc141..4e3331e592 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/views.py
@@ -508,41 +508,6 @@ def unfollow_user(request, course_id, followed_user_id):
     return JsonResponse({})
 
 
-@require_POST
-@login_required
-@permitted
-def update_moderator_status(request, course_id, user_id):
-    """
-    given a course id and user id, check if the user has moderator
-    and send back a user profile
-    """
-    is_moderator = request.POST.get('is_moderator', '').lower()
-    if is_moderator not in ["true", "false"]:
-        return JsonError("Must provide is_moderator as boolean value")
-    is_moderator = is_moderator == "true"
-    user = User.objects.get(id=user_id)
-    role = Role.objects.get(course_id=course_id, name="Moderator")
-    if is_moderator:
-        user.roles.add(role)
-    else:
-        user.roles.remove(role)
-    if request.is_ajax():
-        course = get_course_with_access(request.user, course_id, 'load')
-        discussion_user = cc.User(id=user_id, course_id=course_id)
-        context = {
-            'course': course,
-            'course_id': course_id,
-            'user': request.user,
-            'django_user': user,
-            'profiled_user': discussion_user.to_dict(),
-        }
-        return JsonResponse({
-            'html': render_to_string('discussion/ajax_user_profile.html', context)
-        })
-    else:
-        return JsonResponse({})
-
-
 @require_GET
 def search_similar_threads(request, course_id, commentable_id):
     """
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
index 5cc4ff18df..3c83556a7e 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ VIEW_PERMISSIONS = {
     'unfollow_commentable': ['unfollow_commentable'],
     'unfollow_user': ['unfollow_user'],
     'create_thread': ['create_thread'],
-    'update_moderator_status': ['manage_moderator'],
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/_discussion.scss b/lms/static/sass/_discussion.scss
index 8f55f6c5fd..5fa86f9225 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/_discussion.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/_discussion.scss
@@ -519,12 +519,6 @@ body.discussion {
     .sidebar-comments-count span {
       font-weight: 700;
     }
-
-    .sidebar-toggle-moderator-button {
-      @include blue-button;
-      margin-top: $baseline;
-      text-align: center;
-    }
   }
 
 
diff --git a/lms/templates/discussion/_user_profile.html b/lms/templates/discussion/_user_profile.html
index 2e803a31ce..98f1c06a64 100644
--- a/lms/templates/discussion/_user_profile.html
+++ b/lms/templates/discussion/_user_profile.html
@@ -14,11 +14,4 @@
   </div>
   <div class="sidebar-threads-count"><span>${profiled_user['threads_count'] | h}</span> ${pluralize('discussion', profiled_user['threads_count']) | h} started</div>
   <div class="sidebar-comments-count"><span>${profiled_user['comments_count'] | h}</span> ${pluralize('comment', profiled_user['comments_count']) | h}</div>
-  % if check_permissions_by_view(user, course.id, content=None, name='update_moderator_status'):
-    % if "Moderator" in role_names:
-      <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="sidebar-toggle-moderator-button sidebar-revoke-moderator-button">${_("Revoke Moderator rights")}</a>
-    % else:
-      <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="sidebar-toggle-moderator-button sidebar-promote-moderator-button">${_("Promote to Moderator")}</a>
-    % endif
-  % endif
 </div>
diff --git a/lms/templates/discussion/ajax_user_profile.html b/lms/templates/discussion/ajax_user_profile.html
deleted file mode 100644
index c24081845f..0000000000
--- a/lms/templates/discussion/ajax_user_profile.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-<%include file="_user_profile.html" />