Cameraman suing Ohio State University professors after physical altercation over ‘Epstein questions’

Cameraman and filmmaker Michael Newman is suing The Ohio State University after a confrontation with Vice President E. Gordon Gee ended in a physical altercation in February.

According to DJ Byrnes, the liberal blogger behind The Rooster, he and Michael Newman “got the drop on Ohio State Vice President E. Gordon Gee inside Smith Laboratory.”

“Gee spoke to a cohort at the university’s ‘intellectual diversity center,’ founded by Lee Strang, the integralist behind SB-1, the right-wing legislation that gutted faculty collective bargaining power and mandated conservative thought on Ohio’s public universities,” Byrnes wrote, explaining the context behind “the drop.”

“The Rooster wanted to speak to Gee,” Byrnes continued writing, adding a video taken right outside of the men’s restroom. As Gee exited the restroom, still drying his hands, he was met by Byrnes and Newman.

In the video, Gee appears caught off-guard as Byrnes cited a report from Perkins Coie LLP — the law firm behind the infamous Steele dossier — accusing Gee of culpability in an ongoing class-action lawsuit against the University, before alleging donations from Leslie Wexner had Jeffrey Epstein ties.

“I’m not talking about ongoing litigation,” Gee responded, according to the video.

The blogger states that he had intended to follow Gee to his car, but agreed not to “since he [Gee] was being generous by standing and talking with a stranger.”

According to Byrnes, who is facing an unrelated misdemeanor charge of telecommunications harassment, “Gee handled the bust-up like a grizzled veteran, saying he preferred to answer the nice man’s questions rather than being chased to his car.”

As the blogger and his “compatriot,” who says he made no such deal with Gee, began following the Vice President out of the restroom, they were stopped by two members of the faculty at Ohio State’s Salmon P. Chase Center: Professor Christopher Green and Assistant Professor Luke Perez.

“He agreed and talked to you for a few minutes,” Professor Green said, holding his hands up to stop the two men from continuing their pursuit.

“I didn’t agree to anything,” cameraman Michael Newman responded. “I just need to ask him a few more questions.”

“He already said that was the last question, and now we’re going to have to ask you to leave,” Assistant Professor Perez said.

“Just one more,” Newman said while advancing with the camera.

According to The Rooster, that’s when Perez assaulted Newman, making all prior deals “null and void.”

🚨 Here are the moments before Ohio State professor Luke Perez assaulted a cameraman for asking about Vice President E. Gordon Gee about Jeffrey Epstein after being asked to leave pic.twitter.com/R7d1jwupTa

— Red Panda Koala (@RedPandaKoala) February 13, 2026

Assistant Professor Perez, who was placed on administrative leave, has since pleaded no contest to the charge of attacking Newman. On July 20, Perez was charged with disorderly conduct and fined $100.00, according to court documents.

With the criminal case closed, Newman has now filed a civil case against Perez and Green, alleging that his First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated, including under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for “wrongful physical seizure and retaliation for exercising the rights of freedom of speech.”

Newman is reportedly seeking a jury trial to determine damages.

Perez, an attorney who teaches ethical warfare, has maintained that the altercation was a case of self-defense. Perez told the Ohio State Sanctioning Committee that he did not consider his behavior violent, but in line with the university’s guidance on responding to active aggressors.