Last Thursday, a two-minute video – split into three parts for TikTok – appeared that taught a Zoom recording of a physiology class at Oxnard College that day by Professor Michael Abram, identified in the video by the name and by a student in his class.
CNN reached Abram several times by email and phone, but did not hear about it.
When the posted video begins, it is not clear whether the professor is aware that the student, who later identifies herself as hard of hearing in the video, needs help with her hearing. CNN does not name the student because she did not want to talk to us.
He asks the student, who says she can hear him a little, why she did not answer.
Abram asks. “Why did you not answer all the times I spoke to you then?”
The student tries to respond, but Abram still talks about her.
“I’m hard of hearing,” she said in response to Abram.
“Why are we not talking at some point? Why are you not sending me an email? We will set up a Live Zoom and have proper communication at some point,” he says. “Maybe you can join our counselor, OK? Do you hear me? OK, great, do it,” he says.
After that interaction, another female student in the Zoom class says that the student is hard of hearing and cannot respond immediately.
“She’s not paying attention, she’s trying,” Abram says.
The other student says, “It’s slower on her part because she has to have it translated and then it goes to her earpiece.”
Abram tells the hard of hearing student to “let your counselor talk to me because you have too much distraction to understand what is going on.”
“Yes, I do, because my translator explains to me everything you say,” she replies.
Abram suggests that the student’s translator move her learning forward.
“Let them just teach you the whole class that makes sense to me,” he says. “I do not know, I do not understand,” adding that he sees the student who is hard of hearing “laughs” and “giggles” with someone else and does not pay attention. She replies that she’s in a good mood.
Abram goes on to repeatedly ask her to have her ‘counselor’ talk to him, to which she agrees, but says she feels he is ‘attacking’ her.
“I’m not attacking you, I’m not attacking you,” he says. “I’m just significantly disappointed in you. That’s all, that’s all I am. I’m not attacking you.”
The professor is now on administrative leave, the college said in a statement. “I am saddened and outraged beyond words that any of our students should be or feel despised by any of our employees,” Acting President Luiz Sanchez said in a statement on Twitter.
The video is intended for administrators to review
Sarah Rand, a student in Abram’s class, took the original video posted on TikTok by someone she described as a family friend.
Rand told CNN she took 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 administrators were asked at a press briefing on Monday whether any prior charges had been filed against Abram, they said they could not comment because it was part of the investigation.
Abram was hired as a full-time professor of biology in the fall of 2004, but according to Art Sandford, vice president of academic affairs and student learning, he taught anatomy and physiology classes at Oxnard College.
“The Ventura County Community College District is opposed to any language or conduct that is offensive or harmful to anyone based on gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability,” said Council Chairman Joshua Chancer. “Comments in the video do not reflect the district’s values of integrity and honesty in action and word, respect and the constant pursuit of excellence.”
The National Association of the Deaf said deaf and hard of hearing students differ in what they need in class, including interpreters, captions and devices to help them.
“The use of interpreters or captions usually results in extra time for the deaf or hard of hearing student to receive all the information and then respond,” CEO Howard A. Rosenblum said in a statement. “Professors must therefore be patient and accommodate this additional time, instead of engaging such students.”
Administrators say campuses can make learning accommodation
The investigation could take up to 90 days to complete, said Greg Gillespie, chancellor of Ventura County Community College, in a news release Monday.
“The instructor is entitled to a proper process under the law, so it is his constitutional right as a permanent public employee, so he will be on paid leave until the investigation is completed and we can determine what the findings bring to us, he said. Laura Lizaola Barroso, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at Ventura County Community College District.
CNN has issued the Oxnard College Academic Senate, which has a voice in student and faculty matters.
Administrators said they told students that the district has the ability to provide accommodation for any form of learning assistance needed. They said it was important for students to inform the staff of the faculty or the center for educational assistance of their needs.
According to the administrators at the briefing, Moorpark, another one of Ventura’s, is home to the hard of hearing student. It is not uncommon for a student to take classes on other campuses, especially now, when the majority of classes have moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We know that the student was affiliated with the EAC (Center for Educational Assistance) at Moorpark College. However, we are still investigating the status of the student with regard to whether or not accommodation was requested for this Oxnard College class. , ‘Gillespie said.
Administrators said they are meeting and then reaching out to the students involved.
Rand first said she was concerned that sharing the video with administrators could jeopardize her graduation and her degrees, but said without them they would not know what was happening to a member of the faculty.
“It is our hope that we have created an environment where people are comfortable coming forward so that it can be addressed,” Gillespie said. This incident is an example of where unacceptable behavior occurs in a video and we are going to investigate it and take it seriously. ‘
The administration said it was also proud of the other female student who spoke on behalf of the hard-of-hearing student.
Rand said she never thought the video would be received on social media as it is.
“No matter what this person did, I do not think his reputation should be buried, as millions of people hate him. That was not my intention,” she said.
“I did it for other people to show that if you see something wrong, don’t just keep quiet, because it’s abuse that needs to stop,” Rand said. “Do not be afraid. Speak the truth.”