Professor That Called the Cops on Student Has Been Suspended

It appears that the saga at Ball State University has ended, for now.

NBC News reports that Professor Shaheen Borna has been suspended for the remainder of the semester. Last month, Borna garnered much-deserved controversy after calling the police on a black student who didn’t want to switch his seat. A statement issued by the school said, “This decision is in the best interest of Dr. Borna and the University,” and that this move will “eliminate any unnecessary distractions, and help our students complete the appropriate course expectations.” 

I’m honestly a bit surprised that this happened simply because of the amount of time that has passed since the incident. I mean, two weeks ago the students staged a walk-out over what went down. I just figured if they were going to do this they would’ve done it then. It’s a good move, sure, but it honestly feels less like he’s being suspended for what he did and more to just end any distraction he may be causing. I could be wrong but I assume students weren’t exactly thrilled to go to class with the dude known for calling the cops on students.

The President of the university, Geoffrey Mearns, has said he plans to have meetings with both the school’s Black Faculty and Staff Association as well as the Black Alumni Constituent Society. While that’s nice, I think that the professor should also be in attendance at these meetings. It’s one thing to issue a cut-rate apology, it’s another to put in the work to actually do better.