Last Thursday, a two-minute video – divided into three parts for TikTok – appeared showing a Zoom recording of a physiology class at Oxnard College that day taught by Professor Michael Abram, who is identified in the video by name and by a student in your class.
CNN contacted Abram several times by email and phone, but received no response.
When the posted video starts, it is not clear whether the teacher is aware that the student, who later identifies himself in the video as having a hearing impairment, needs help with his hearing. CNN is not naming the student because she refused to speak to us.
He asks the student, who says she can hear him a little, why she is not answering.
“Can you hear me a little? Open up question.” Why didn’t you answer every time I spoke to you then?
The student tries to answer, but Abrão continues to talk about her.
“I have a hearing problem,” she said in response to Abram.
“Why don’t we talk someday? Why don’t you send me an email? We will set up a live Zoom and we will have real communication at some point, ”he says. “Maybe you can ask your advisor to join us, okay? Are you listening to me? Okay, wonderful, do that, ”he says.
After this interaction, another Zoom class student said that the student has hearing problems and cannot respond immediately.
“She is not paying attention, she is not trying,” says Abram.
The other student says, “It’s slower on your side because she needs to translate it and then she goes to the audition.”
Abrão tells the hearing impaired student to “ask your counselor to speak to me because you are too distracted to understand what is happening”.
“Yes, I accept it because my translator is at my side explaining everything you are saying,” she replies.
Abram suggests that the student’s translator teach her to move on.
“Just ask them to teach you, the whole class, it makes sense to me,” he says. “I don’t know, I don’t understand”, he added that he saw the hearing impaired student “laughing” and “giggling” with another person and is not paying attention. She replies that she is in a good mood.
Abram continues to repeatedly ask his “advisor” to talk to him, which she agrees with, but says he feels he is “attacking” her.
“I’m not attacking you, I’m not attacking you,” he says. “I’m very disappointed in you. That’s all, that’s all. I’m not attacking you.”
The professor is now on administrative leave, the college said in a note. “I am sad and outraged beyond the words that any of our students should be or feel disrespected by any of our employees,” said acting president Luiz Sanchez in a statement posted on Twitter.
The video was made for administrators to review
Sarah Rand, a student in Abram’s class, made the original video that was posted on TikTok by someone she described as a family friend.
Rand told CNN that she made the video with the intention of sending it to administrators to show the behavior and comments she said she and other students saw during Abram’s classes this semester.
When asked at a news conference on Monday whether any previous complaints had been made against Abram, administrators said they could not comment because that is part of the investigation.
Abram was hired as a full-time full professor in the fall of 2004 as a biology professor, but he taught anatomy and physiology at Oxnard College, according to Art Sandford, vice president of academic affairs and student learning.
“The Ventura County Community College District is opposed to any language or behavior that is offensive or harmful to anyone based on gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability,” said Council President Joshua Chancer in the statement. . “The comments on the video do not reflect the district’s values of integrity and honesty in actions and words, respect and the constant pursuit of excellence.”
The National Association of the Deaf said that deaf and hard of hearing students vary in what they need in class, including interpreters, subtitles and devices to help them.
“The use of interpreters or subtitles generally results in additional time for the deaf or hard of hearing student to receive all the information and to respond,” said CEO Howard A. Rosenblum in a statement. “Teachers must therefore be patient and accommodate this additional time, rather than scolding these students.”
Administrators say campuses can make learning accommodations
The investigation could take up to 90 days to complete, Greg Gillespie, Chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District, told a news conference on Monday.
“The instructor has the right to due process, so it is his constitutional right as a permanent civil servant and therefore he will be on paid leave until the investigation is completed and we can determine what the conclusions bring us,” said Laura Lizaola Barroso, vice president of human resources at Ventura County Community College District.
CNN contacted the Academic Senate at Oxnard College, which has an active voice on student and teacher matters.
Administrators said they told students that the district has the ability to provide accommodation for any type of learning assistance that is needed. They said it is important for students to notify the teaching staff or staff at the educational assistance center about their needs.
The college that houses the hearing impaired student is Moorpark, another Ventura campus, according to the administrators at the briefing. It is not uncommon for a student to take classes on other campuses, especially now, when most classes have changed online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We know that the student was connected to the EAC (educational assistance center) staff at Moorpark College. However, we are still investigating the student’s situation with regard to whether or not accommodation was requested for this class at Oxnard College. , “Said Gillespie.
The administrators said that they are in the process of meeting and contacting the students involved.
Rand said at first that he was concerned that sharing the video with administrators might risk his graduation and grades, but says that without it, they would not know what is happening to a faculty member.
“We hope that we have created an environment where people are comfortable presenting, so that this can be resolved, said Gillespie.” This incident is an example of where unacceptable behavior is seen occurring in a video and we are going to investigate and take it seriously. ”
The administration said it is also proud of the other student who spoke on behalf of the hearing impaired student.
Rand said he never thought the video would be received on social media the way it happened.
“No matter what that person did, I don’t think his reputation should be buried, as if millions of people hated him. That was not my intention,” she said.
“I did it for other people to show that when you see something wrong, don’t be quiet, because this is abuse that’s going on and needs to stop,” said Rand. “Don’t be afraid. Speak the truth.”