The head of a historically black college has defended police being called to arrest a student who was arguing with her professor.
Addressing the viral video of Leilla Hamoud, 20, being detained at Winston-Salem State University following a fallout with lecturer Cynthia Villagome over her essay, Chancellor Elwood Robinson said the school was in the right.
'We understand that the weaponization of police is a prevalent problem in our community, however, that is not what happened in this incident,' Robinson wrote in a letter to students and staff, adding that initial 'de-escalation efforts' had failed.
'We strive for a safe, inclusive, thriving, and intellectual community where all our faculty, staff, and students feel respected and supported. To that end, we will take swift and appropriate measures against any situation that contradicts those ideals.'
A spokesman for the school told CNN Villagome has been left shaken and emotional by the incident, noting 'there have been several threats to her safety.'
Winston-Salem State University officials defended the decision to arrest student Leilla Hamoud following an argument with her teacher. The 20-year-old could be seen screaming and crying (above) as she claimed the officers were hurting her
University Chancellor Elwood Robinson (pictured) said officers were following the school's policy after initial 'de-escalation efforts' had failed
In the now viral video of the incident, the professor, Cynthia Villagomez, could be heard saying she tried to de-escalate the situation as she apologized to the students. University officials said the professor has since had several threats made against her
In the arrest video, Hamoud was seen sobbing and complaining the cops were hurting her as they forced her arms behind her back over what she says was a dispute about her final paper.
Hamoud claimed Villagomez got angry with her in class, saying she could either apologize for not redoing the essay as instructed or leave.
Hamoud said she rejected the ultimatum and held her presentation in class because she had worked on the assignment for two weeks before allegedly being given only six-hours to redo it.
When she was arrested, Hamoud could be heard shouting: 'I hate you, I hate you. I swear to God, I hate you.
'You're the worst teacher ever. You get me taken out in handcuffs because I won't apologize? Because I won't apologize, you started yelling at me. You tried to embarrass me about my paper.'
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ShareIt remains unclear exactly what happened prior to the arrest or which professor called the police, but school officials said the argument had escalate to a 'significant commotion,' which resulted in the need for officers to arrive.
'In accordance with law enforcement procedures, our officer's first priority is to assess the situation and provide every opportunity for a positive resolution,' Robinson wrote. 'As situations escalate, their responsibility is to ensure the safety of the students, faculty, and staff members that are present.'
Some students, however, said they were disappointed by the statement as they say the situation never called for police to be involved.
'The statement that they put out really felt like a slap in the face not only to me because I witnessed it, but one to Leilla because she actually, physically, went through what she did,' classmate Taji told WXII reported Louie Tran.
She added that at no time did Leilla approach the teacher, opting to stay in the back of the classroom during the heated argument.
A viral video posted online shows the moment Hamoud was handcuffed when a colleague of Villagomez decided to call police
The student was led out of the classroom by campus police and was charged with a second-degree misdemeanor
I talked with Taji, who says she was inside the classroom yesterday and saw the incident. She shared her thoughts with me on WSSU's statement. She also described to me the events that led up to the 20-year-old student's arrest.
I'll have the full report tonight on WXII at 11 pm. pic.twitter.com/qzio2SqpzI
— Louie Tran (@louie_tran) December 15, 2022In an Instagram Live video following the viral incident, Hamoud shared her side of the story of what happened when she refused to redo her essay or leave the classroom.
'So, boom, she starts yelling at me telling me this is her class [and] it doesn't matter what I think,' Hamoud recounted. 'I started getting loud back, I'm not going to lie to you guys, I was raising my voice too.
'I'm like 'Dr. V, I'm not going to redo it, I'm here to present with my group, like I'm here to get this done and get out.'
But, Hamoud said, Villagomez continued to demand she leave before the professor ultimately stormed out of the classroom herself to speak with one of her colleagues.
Soon, Hamoud said, campus police arrive on the scene, with a black officer entering and asking what had happened.
'As I'm telling my story, the professor comes back in and says, 'Yes officer, I want her taken out.'
At that point, she says, another white officer came in and said 'You're going to have to get out or I'm going to have to take you out.'
'At this point, I'm like Dr. V you're going to let them arrest me? And she's trying to like fix herself,' she said of the professor apologizing. 'She said either apologize or get out.
'I said 'Apologize?' Now, the old me, I would have apologized but I knew I was not wrong. So I said 'Apologize because you yelled at me, and you dropped the F bomb.''
She then revealed she was charged with a second-degree misdemeanor but was released from custody as she did not have any prior misdemeanors.
Full statement from Winston-Salem State University Chancellor
Dear Rams,
As many of you know, there was an incident this morning involving a student and a faculty member that has escalated on social media. We now have more information regarding the event and want to share some key information with our campus community.
Regarding the incident, the university has a process we must follow when there is a reported disturbance anywhere on campus. We received a report that there was a significant commotion in Carolina Hall this morning, and as such, a WSSU employee nearby called for the assistance of law enforcement after they tried to de-escalate the situation.
In accordance with law enforcement procedures, our officer's first priority is to assess the situation and provide every opportunity for a positive resolution. As situations escalate, their responsibility is to ensure the safety of the students, faculty, and staff members that are present.
We understand that the weaponization of police is a prevalent problem in our community; however, that is not what happened in this incident. We strive for a safe, inclusive, thriving, and intellectual community where all our faculty, staff, and students feel respected and supported. To that end, we will take swift and appropriate measures against any situation that contradicts those ideals.
We know this situation has caused a great deal of trauma to those involved and our campus community at large, but please know that every available resource is being extended to bring a resolution.
We have coordinated several university departments in response to today's incident, including the Office of the Chancellor, the Dean of Students, the dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, Business, and Education, and Police and Public Safety.
Our staff is working diligently to ensure all resources are available, all processes are followed, and all grievances are addressed. While we would like to share all the details we have, under privacy laws (FERPA, personnel records) and to protect the process integrity, all information cannot be shared publicly.
We know you want immediate answers; however, the speed of our processes does not match the speed of social media. Ultimately, we are committed to ensuring due diligence and fairness. We do ask for your patience as we must take the necessary time to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
We greatly appreciate those of you that have reached out to express your advocacy and care for the university. Please be assured that we hear you and welcome all perspectives.
As with any incident on campus, personal support resources are available.
Sincerely,
Elwood L. Robinson, Ph.D.
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