Colorado School of Mines professor alleges football coach tried to hijack his classroom mid-lecture

A Colorado School of Mines prof said the institution’s caput shot manager and associates barged into his schoolroom successful the mediate of a lecture past month, harassing the prof and astir 100 students by blowing a whistle, turning disconnected the projector and shouting astatine everyone to get retired truthful the squad could usage the room.

Professor Ning Lu, who has been with the schoolhouse for astir 25 years and has expertise successful ungraded and water, described the Oct. 8 incidental arsenic an enactment of workplace unit that near him rattled and sent astatine slightest 1 pupil into a panic attack.

Lu said helium instantly reported the incident, but, a period later, has lone been told the assemblage probe was completed.

Seven Mines students besides reported the incident, said Emilie Rusch, a assemblage spokeswoman. She said School of Mines officials investigated and took “swift, due action.”

“Providing a harmless and supportive situation wherever Mines students tin larn is our No. 1 priority,” Rusch said. “While we cannot corroborate the specifics of this incident, Mines does not condone disruptions that interaction the acquisition process successful our classrooms.”

Rusch said the schoolhouse cannot remark connected confidential unit matters but that disciplinary enactment was taken.

Gregg Brandon, the School of Mines’ caput shot coach, remains successful his position, the assemblage confirmed.

Brandon did not respond to a petition for remark from The Denver Post.

“Mr. Brandon committed workplace unit successful nationalist connected Oct.  8,” Lu said. “Not lone verbal violence, but carnal intimidation… Not lone targeting the people by himself, but besides directing different idiosyncratic to people me… Not lone causing schoolroom chaos, but starring to aggregate radical physically and emotionally shaken and causing pupil panic attack.

“My people and I person been kept successful implicit acheronian astir whether and what the assemblage did to analyse this horrible incidental of workplace violence, each nether the screen of ‘confidential unit matter,'” helium said.

On Oct. 8, Lu said helium and the students successful his ungraded mechanics people — which is taught successful a country successful the shot stadium analyzable — waited extracurricular their schoolroom for astir 15 minutes due to the fact that the shot squad was successful the room.

“This was the 3rd clip this semester that my people started precocious due to the fact that the shot squad wanted to usage the room,” Lu said. “The caput manager was good alert that it was our scheduled people time, and, successful fact, helium had told maine successful the weeks earlier that I should expect to commencement people precocious due to the fact that helium wanted to usage the country instead.”

Lu yet entered the country and asked the radical wrong to permission truthful helium could statesman teaching, helium said.

They left, and Lu said helium began his lesson. But, helium said, helium soon was interrupted by Brandon, who entered the country shouting that helium was the caput manager and instructing everyone to leave. Nobody left, Lu said, and the people continued.

Soon after, Lu said his people was interrupted again by the crisp sounds of a whistle blowing, and Brandon and associates — Lu didn’t cognize whether they were pupil athletes oregon Brandon’s peers — entered the room. Lu besides said helium was unsure who blew the whistle.

The assemblage said nary pupil athletes were progressive successful the incidental but did not corroborate who other accompanied Brandon.

“One idiosyncratic straight approached maine astatine the podium, unopen down my projector, and made moves that suggested helium wanted to region my different things and perchance adjacent me,” Lu said. “I told him to stop, and the idiosyncratic yet stopped. Meanwhile, Mr. Brandon was shouting a batch astatine the students and his team, trying verbally and physically to get students out.”

Students panicked and immoderate fled the room, Lu said. One pupil had a panic onslaught successful the hallway, the prof said.

Brandon yet near the room, Lu said, but came backmost soon after, asking Lu to constitute his sanction down connected a portion of paper.

“I was shaken,” Lu said. “For the students’ sake, I kept my composure and resumed teaching for the 4th clip and finished the class.”

Days aft the incident, an HR typical and diversion manager David Hansburg came to Lu’s people to apologize for the events that happened, Lu said. Lu said the assemblage told him they investigated the incidental and that due enactment had been taken — but could not beryllium shared.

Lu said helium and his people merit to cognize the result of the probe and that helium wanted to cognize specifically what argumentation prevented the assemblage from sharing immoderate accusation astir the investigation.

He besides requested that the assemblage publically condemn the incident.

“We are a nationalist university, and this happened successful public,” Lu said. “To me, it’s wide they privation to expanse this nether the rug and that they’re covering it up and privation this to spell away.”