Ohio State puts a violent professor on administrative leave as investigators reveal the university still pushes DEI
The Ohio State University is facing two scandals: one of its professors assaulting a person on campus, and another university official admitting they are still pushing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, even though the federal government prohibited colleges and universities from doing so.
Luke Perez, an assistant professor at the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society, was recorded attacking Mike Newman, an independent documentarian, in a hallway at Smith Laboratory after Newman attempted to film and interview former Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee, who was there to speak in Perez’s class, Profiles in American Leadership, according to The Lantern.
Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said that Perez was placed on administrative leave following the assault.
“We are aware of the incident, and it is very concerning,” he said. “The faculty member involved has been placed on administrative leave pending a full OSUPD investigation and thorough review of the facts.”
Newman told NBC 4 that he “feared for his life in the moment,” adding that he didn’t feel much pain during the assault, but did after the adrenaline wore off.
Newman and his attorney, Rocky Ratliff, said that, in addition to the assault, Perez violated Newman’s First Amendment right, especially considering that Ohio State is a public university, making it available for everyone, not just staff and students.
“When I was talking to the OSU police, I felt like I was the perpetrator,” Newman said. “They made me feel like I was the person in the wrong. And, you know, as much as the physical assault, as bad as that is, the First Amendment assault on my rights is just as bad.”
Many people and organizations, including Ohio State’s American Association of University Professors chapter, criticized the center for its treatment of Newman, noting that it is intended to be an intellectual diversity center for students, reducing groupthink and encouraging free speech.
“Unfortunately, this assault — and the embarrassing actions around it — make it clear these centers aren’t really about encouraging civil discourse and intellectual diversity. AAUP-OSU is in favor of free speech for everyone on campus, not just for the ideas that politicians want to promote,” the statement shared with The Columbus Dispatch said.
State Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, also told the news source that he found the incident “ironic” since the center is supposed to cultivate “a free society through open inquiry and excellent scholarship,” adding that Perez was a coward for attacking Newman.
“We must fight for our 1st amendment rights,” he said. “If we stand by and watch, we will lose that right.”
Meanwhile, an undercover Accuracy in Media video found that university officials are still pushing DEI, despite the federal government’s explicit prohibition.
Adam Guillette, President of Accuracy in Media, previously told Ohio.News that “Ohio’s universities have been captured by radicals,” adding that “Ohio State is one of the worst.”
