The principal of a historically black college has defended police who were called to arrest a student who had argued with her professor.
Chancellor Elwood Robinson addressed the viral video of Leilla Hamoud, 20, who was jailed at Winston-Salem State University after a dispute with professor Cynthia Villagome over her essay, saying the school was right.
“We understand that police arming is a widespread issue in our community, but that did not happen 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 of our faculty, staff and students feel respected and supported. To this end, we will take prompt and appropriate action against any situation contrary to these ideals.’
A spokesman for the school told CNN Villagome he was shaken and emotionally left by the incident, noting that “there were multiple threats to their safety.”
Winston-Salem State University officials defended the decision to arrest student Leilla Hamoud after a dispute with her teacher. The 20-year-old was seen screaming and crying (above) as she claimed officers were hurting her
University chancellor Elwood Robinson (pictured) said officials were following the school’s policy after initial “de-escalation efforts” failed
In the now-viral video of the incident, 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 received multiple threats against her
In the arrest video, Hamoud could be seen sobbing and complaining that the cops hurt her when they forced her arms behind her back because she was allegedly having an argument about her thesis.
Hamoud claimed that Villagomez got angry with her in class and said she could either apologize for not repeating the essay as instructed or leave.
Hamoud said she rejected the ultimatum and gave her presentation in class because she worked on the assignment for two weeks before allegedly only having six hours to repeat it.
When she was arrested, Hamoud was heard screaming, “I hate you, I hate you. I swear to god I hate you.
“You are the worst teacher ever. You take me 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 newspaper.”
It remains unclear exactly what happened prior to the arrest or which professor called the police, but school officials said the argument escalated into a “significant commotion” that led to officers having to arrive.
“Consistent with law enforcement procedures, our officer’s first priority is to assess the situation and provide every opportunity for a positive resolution,” Robinson wrote. “If the situation escalates, it is their responsibility to ensure the safety of the students, faculty and staff present.”
However, some students said they were disappointed by the statement because they believe the situation never required police involvement.
“The statement they released really felt like a slap in the face, not just for me for witnessing it, but for Leilla because she actually physically went through what she did,” said classmate Taji to WXII, reported Louie Tran.
She added that at no point did Leilla approach the teacher and chose to stay at the back of the classroom during the heated argument.
A viral video posted online shows the moment Hamoud was handcuffed just as a colleague of Villagomez’s decided to call the police
The student was escorted out of the classroom by campus police and charged with a second-degree misdemeanor
I spoke to Taji who says she was in the classroom yesterday and saw the incident. She shared with me her thoughts on the WSSU statement. She also recounted to me the events leading up to the arrest of the 20-year-old student.
I’ll have the full report on WXII tonight at 11pm. pic.twitter.com/qzio2SqpzI
— Louie Tran (@louie_tran) December 15, 2022
In an Instagram live video following the viral incident, Hamoud shared her side of the story about what happened when she refused to repeat her essay or leave the classroom.
“So, boom, she starts yelling at me and telling me this is her class [and] it doesn’t matter what I think,” said Hamoud. “I started getting loud, I won’t lie to you guys, I raised my voice too.
“I’m like ‘Dr. V, I won’t repeat it, I’m here to present it with my group, like I’m here to get this done and get out.
But, Hamoud said, Villagomez kept urging her to leave before the professor herself stormed out of the classroom to speak to one of her colleagues.
Soon, Hamoud said, campus police arrive at the scene, and a black officer steps in and asks what happened.
“As I’m telling my story, the professor comes back and says, ‘Yes, officer, I want her taken out.’
At that point, she says, another white officer walked in and said, “You’ve got to get out, or I’ve got to get you out.”
“At this point, like Dr. V. You will have me arrested? And she’s trying to fix herself,” she said of the professor, apologizing. “She said excuse yourself or go away.
‘I said ‘Excuse me?’ Well, old me, I would have apologized, but I knew I wasn’t wrong. So I said, ‘Sorry about yelling at me and dropping the F-bomb.’
She then announced that she was charged with a second-degree misdemeanor but was released from custody as she had no prior misdemeanor.
Full statement from the Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University
dear rams,
As many of you know, there was an incident this morning involving a student and a faculty member that escalated on social media. We now have more information about the event and would like to share some important information with our campus community.
Regarding the incident, the university has a process that we must follow if there is a disruption reported anywhere on campus. We received a report that there was significant unrest in Carolina Hall this morning and as a result a nearby WSSU worker has called police for help after they attempted 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. If the situation escalates, it is their responsibility to ensure the safety of the students, faculty and staff present.
We understand that police arming is a widespread issue in our community; However, that is not the case in this incident. We strive for a safe, inclusive, thriving, and intellectual community where all of our faculty, staff, and students feel respected and supported. To this end, we will take prompt and appropriate action against any situation contrary to these ideals.
We know this situation has caused great trauma to those involved and our entire campus community, but please note that all available resources are being expanded to bring about a resolution.
We coordinated several university departments in response to today’s incident, including the Chancellor’s Office, the Dean of Studies, the Dean of the College of Arts, Science, Business and Education, and Police and Public Safety.
Our staff work diligently to ensure all resources are available, all processes are followed and all complaints are addressed. While we wish to share all the details we have, due to privacy laws (FERPA, personnel files) and to protect process integrity, not all information can be shared publicly.
We know you want instant answers; However, the speed of our processes does not correspond to the speed of social media. Ultimately, we are committed to diligence and fairness. We ask for your patience as we need to take the necessary time to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
We greatly appreciate those of you who have reached out to express your advocacy and concern for the University. Please rest assured that we hear you and welcome all perspectives.
As with any on-campus incident, personal support resources are available.
sincerely,
Elwood L. Robinson, Ph.D.