A video went viral on American University’s campus. It showed more than six campus police officers carrying a Black female student, junior Gianna Wheeler, out of her room in off-campus university housing by her arms and legs.
“This is my dorm room,” she yelled. “Get off me.”
According to a statement by Black Lives Matter DC, the American University Police Department was supposed to be performing a wellness check when the video was taken on Sept. 27. The group protested Wheeler’s treatment the day of her disciplinary hearing, alongside The Future is Feminist and student activists.
Wheeler had been accused of assaulting another student resulting in a month-long suspension, but she was later found not guilty at her hearing.
The university released a statement that it cannot legally “comment on individual student matters” but emphasized a focus on “the safety and welfare of all of our students.”
“Our emergency response to members of the AU community is a collaborative effort between AUPD, the Office of Campus Life, the AU Counseling Center, and others to ensure a comprehensive effort that de-escalates a situation, prioritizes safety and provides the support required,” the statement read.
An email was also sent out to students after the protest, signed by Dr. Fanta Aw, vice president of campus life, and Doug Kudravetz, chief financial officer, vice president and treasurer.
