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California professor is under investigation over his comments to a student who is hard of hearing. - Oxnard College instructor Michael Abrams was seen in a series of
TikTok videos berating the student. - In one video, he suggested the student's translator should teach her instead.
A California community college placed a professor on leave after videos emerged showing him berating a student who identified as hard of hearing.
A series of TikTok videos showed Oxnard College physiology professor Michael Abram teaching a class via Zoom, and growing frustrated with a student he said wasn't answering him.
"I'm hard of hearing," the student responded. Another classmate could be heard explaining that the delay was because the student's translator needed time to repeat Abram's questions to her.
"She's not paying attention," Abram responded. "She's not trying."
At another point, Abram suggests the student's translator teach her the class instead.
"Okay, just have them teach you, the whole class," he said. "That makes sense to me. I don't know. I don't understand it, but I see you laughing and smiling and giggling with somebody else."
The student responded that she was merely in a good mood, but Abrams brushed her remarks aside.
The Ventura County Community College District released a statement saying administrators were "deeply troubled by the behavior" in the video, and that the instructor was under investigation.
Abrams did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The school added that its investigation into the incident could take roughly three months, and will be "thorough and fair."
The president of Oxnard College, Luis Sanchez, said in a statement that the school was "constrained by legal considerations" from explaining the incident further, but that the school denounced discriminatory behavior.
"Like many of you, this morning I watched the unfortunate TikTok video which has been circulating on social media. I am saddened and outraged behind words that any of our students should either be or feel disrespected by any of our employees," Sanchez wrote.