SAN ANTONIO — The University of Texas-San Antonio announced Tuesday that the teacher at the center of a controversial video is out of the classroom. A petition calling for the university to fire the professor has collected more than 4,000 signatures as of Wednesday night.
That's after video shows police escorting an African-American student out of class Monday.
The person who posted that video says the student was forced to leave her biology class because she had her feet up on the seat in front of her.
UTSA President Taylor Eighmy posted a message to students Monday night, saying campus police escorted the student out at the request of faculty member. “I am very much aware that the circumstance represents another example of the work we need to do as an institution around issues of inclusivity and supporting our students of color,” Eighmy said.
In an update on the situation, Eighmy said the faculty member's classes will be taught by another faculty member for the remainder of the semester. Her students have been informed. The student involved in the incident has been welcomed back to class and offered support services.
UTSA released a new statement Tuesday, saying they're concerned by what the video shows and they've initiated multiple investigations into the matter.
"Regardless of the final outcomes regarding yesterday’s incident, we have an obligation as an institution to take a hard look at our campus climate—especially for students of color—and enact systemic change to make UTSA a more inclusive campus," Eighmy said in an email to students Tuesday.
This is not the first time UTSA has had a controversy around race. Back in March, students created a “No Whites Allowed” publication. And last November, UTSA staff took down a white nationalist banner found on campus.