Several Ball State University (BSU) faculty last Thursday said they want a post-tenure review of a professor who called the police on a Black student because he didn’t switch seats in the classroom.
The university’s Black Faculty and Staff Association are also requesting that campus leadership allows students to transfer out of the classes of the professor, Shaheen Borna. Over 100 Ball State University professors signed a letter expressing outrage and concern over the incident.
On Jan. 21, Borna called the police on the student, business administration major Sultan “Mufasa” Benson, after he declined to move seats in class. The student’s computer was charging where he was sitting, which is why he didn’t want to move, Ball State Daily reported.
After issuing an unsuccessful ultimatum – telling Benson he had to move or leave class – Borna asked a student employee to call the police. Videos posted online show two campus officers entering the classroom to question Benson, with classmates speaking out in his defense.
Ironically, the incident occurred on the same day the school released its first inclusive excellence plan.
“My reaction was, ‘stay composed and make sure to not do anything alarming’ ” Benson told Diverse via Twitter. Fearing what police could do to him, Benson did his best “to not come off hostile.”
When Benson left class to talk to the police, they seemed to have little information about why they were called.
