California Professor Put On Paid Leave After Berating Hard-Of-Hearing Student
Michael Abram, a tenured California professor at Oxnard College, has been put on paid administrative leave after virtually berating a hard-of-hearing student last Thursday (Feb. 18). Footage from the class meeting on Zoom has since gone viral and shows the moment Abram, who teaches anatomy and physiology, confronts the female student.
He’s heard saying, “Ms. Salazar I’ve been talking to you, Ms. Salazar.” She responds, “I can hear you a little bit.” He says, “You can hear me a little bit? Why didn’t you answer all the time I spoke to you then?” The student replies, “I’m hard of hearing.” Abrams continues to berate her, “Why don’t we talk sometimes? Why don’t you email me? We’ll set up a live Zoom and we’re gonna have some real communication at some point in t time. Maybe you can have your counselor join us.”
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Another student intervenes, “Professor? She’s actually hard of hearing. So her translator goes in a little bit late. She can’t respond right away.” The clips shows the two of them continue the back and forth. Since, the Ventura County Community College District, which oversees Oxnard, Moorpark and Ventura colleges has received hundreds of calls and emails about the incident, and has left them to place Abram on paid administrative leave as they investigate — which they say can take up to three months.
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