An Asian American professor at Colorado School of Mines says the college’s head football coach hijacked his class in the middle of a lecture, The Denver Post reports.
Professor Ning Lu was teaching a class of nearly 100 students on October 8. when he says head football coach Gregg Brandon rushed into the room. He blew his whistle, turned off the projector and demanded that everyone leave so the football team could leave the room.
Lu, who has been teaching at the university for nearly 25 years, reported the incident immediately. Several students also filed a report. According to The Denver Post, Lu was recently told that an investigation into the incident had been completed.
Emilie Rusch, a university spokesperson, told The Denver Post that the school took “swift, appropriate action.” Rusch added that disciplinary action was taken. Brandon will remain in his position as head football coach.
Lu says Brandon committed “workplace violence in public on Oct. 8.” He says the incident left several people physically and emotionally shaken. One student had a panic attack.
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“My class and I have been kept in complete darkness about whether and what the university did to investigate this horrible incident of workplace violence, all under the cover of a confidential personnel matter,” Lu told The Denver Post.
Professor Lu’s daughter told AsAmNews in an email interview that the incident could be seen as an example of the way institutions treat Asian victims.
“A white football coach harassed my father during his class and ordered athletes to remove his student,” she said in an email. “The university has since gaslighted my father and his students, completely covering for the coach and his team, and won’t let them know any of the ‘investigation outcomes or actions’. The story is important regarding how institutions fail to take Asian victims seriously and how perpetrators seem to face no consequences for their actions.”
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