COLUMBUS — An assistant professor has been charged with assault after a video showed an encounter with an independent journalist.
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The argument happened inside The Ohio State University’s (OSU) Smith Laboratory on Feb. 9.
Michael Newman, an independent journalist, said he was punched by Assistant Professor Luke Perez on Monday while attempting to interview former OSU president E. Gordon Gee.
The footage captured a hallway confrontation that ended with Newman appearing to fall to the floor.
Perez was placed on leave on Tuesday.
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Ohio State University spokesperson Ben Johnson addressed the university’s response to the faculty member’s actions.
“We are aware of the incident, and it is very concerning that the faculty member involved has been placed on administrative leave pending a full OSUPD investigation and thorough review of the facts,” Johnson said. Ohio State confirmed Wednesday that it has dropped a trespassing charge originally filed against Newman.
Newman spoke to our news partners at WBNS-TV.
“I was punched — it was like an open-hand punch, this whole side right here,” Newman said.
He noted that the hallway confrontation happened instantaneously, and his first instinct was to protect his equipment as the camera fell to the floor.
“As bad as my injury was, my First Amendment rights were violated — and that’s just as bad,” Newman said.
While some claims suggested Newman entered the professor’s personal space, he stated that Perez was the one who confronted him.
The video footage shows Newman continuing to record as he addresses former President Gee.
The Ohio State University Police Department is conducting a full investigation into the incident.
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