Professor Calls Cops on Black Student for Having Her Feet Up in Class

A Texas university has launched two investigations after a white professor reportedly called the cops on a black student during class. What was the student’s offense? She reportedly propped her feet up on a lecture hall chair.

The incident occurred Monday at the University of Texas at San Antonio. A man who was in the class posted a now-viral video in which the black student—identified as Paige Burgess—was seen being escorted out by police.

“So this happened today in class, a girl had her feet up and the professor called the police after calling our class uncivil,” Apurva Rawal captioned the video. As you can see below, Burgess complies with the officers, and calmly gathers her belongings before leaving the lecture hall. 

According to NBC News, the woman who alerted authorities is biology professor Anita Moss. UTSA President Taylor Eighmy confirmed that officials had spoke to the student as well as Moss, who agreed to stop teaching the class for the rest of the school year.

Rawal later tweeted that the incident upset him, as Burgess was not being disruptive. He said the educator went on a “tirade,” accusing students of being uncivil and not paying attention during her lessons. Rawal also claimed Moss cut class short because her “ego was bruised.”

Burgess responded to Rawal’s post on Twitter, thanking him and other students for their support.

Twitter users have since dubbed the professor #BioBetty, grouping her with #BBQBecky, #PermitPatty, #CornerstoneCaroline, and other infamous white folks who’ve called the police on black people for dubious reasons. 

“We are currently conducting two separate investigations into the matter, one on potential discrimination […] and the other on classroom management,” Eighmy wrote in a letter to students. “No matter the outcome of the investigations, the incident shows issues that extend far beyond the events of yesterday. The reactions expressed through social media, emails, phone calls and group meetings I’ve attended confirm that feelings of marginalization on the part of some students—especially our African American students—are real and profound.”