University of Florida suspends official who pulled black graduates off stage during commencement

The University of Florida has suspended a faculty member who rushed mostly black graduates off the stage during a commencement ceremony.

The white employee, described as a chemistry lecturer, has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to AL.com.

Videos of the ceremony show the lecturer pushing and restraining black students who were “strolling,” or celebrating their achievement through actions like dancing, or what one graduate told The Gainesville Sun is “a cultural tradition in historically black fraternities and sororities.”

{mosads}University President W. Kent Fuchs apologized for the incident and called the employee’s conduct “inappropriately aggressive.”

“During one of this weekend’s commencement ceremonies, we were inappropriately aggressive in rushing students across the stage,” Fuchs tweeted. 

“The practice has been halted for all future ceremonies, and we will work to make sure all graduating students know we are proud of their achievements and celebrate with them their graduation.”

He said that he was reaching out to the individual students to personally apologize.

Students who were affected by the employee’s behavior called the experience “embarrassing and degrading.” Videos of the incident have since gone viral, and the school’s Black Student Union has called on the administration to “create positive tangible change” for future ceremonies.