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CORRECTION: A quote was misheard and has been updated to reflect the man saying "You’re pressing your luck, boy, I’m killing you right now."
MUNCIE, Ind. - "The difference is, for me, I'll bust your f***ing face in," an unidentified man threatened a Ball State University student attempting to speak with university president Geoffrey Mearns, according to a video posted by SJP Muncie (formerly Ball State Students for Justice in Palestine) on Instagram.
The man also threatened to "beat [their] a**" and "beat the s*** out of [them]" for being "disrespectful" to Mearns, and said, "You're pressing your luck, boy, I'm killing you right now."
Video shows Mearns patting the man on the back twice about seventeen seconds before the man made the threats. He didn't respond to students, walked to his car and drove away.
From the window of his car, the man made comments like "Which one of you are gay, first off? Any of you?" and "Those people read the f***ing Quran!"
After the student called the man a "dumba** piece of s***" for his remarks, the man got out of his car, grabbed him, and pushed him.
In a Facebook post, Joseph Souza said, "Ball State students attended an event at Muncie Central High School, after the event, they approached Ball State President Mearns to engage in a dialogue about recent events and university policy. The man pictured, threatened students multiple times. He left the encounter then returned shortly after to yell at students from his car. After yelling some derogatory (racist/homophobic) comments, he exited his car and attacked one of the students by grabbing and shoving them."
On November 12, according to Cardinal Media BSU and a video from SJP Muncie, when students visited Mearns' office to leave a message about the Sumud Hunger Strike, they were locked out thirty minutes before closing and told to leave by Vice President of Student Affairs Ro-Ann Royer Engle.
According to SJP Muncie, 12 students were charged with "Disorderly Conduct," "Obstruction or Disruption" and "Other Policy Violations" for visiting Mearns' office that day. The organization claims the university has been "clamping down on our protected rights to free speech" for "nearly a year," and has seen "coordinated attacks against students organizing."
On November 28, SJP Muncie changed its name from Ball State Students for Justice in Palestine after the university sent a legal demand over the use of its name, abbreviation, and the Dancing Charlie logo on their Instagram page. Jon Glesing, executive director of University Trademarks and Licensing, did not respond to The CI’s request for comment.
The identity of the man is unknown, and SJP Muncie said in a reply to an Instagram comment that they're trying to identify him.
The CI has emailed President Mearns' office for comment.