Rutgers University student, staff member tussle at board meeting [ updated ]

UPDATE: Rutgers University will not be pressing charges against a faculty member involved in a July altercation with a student. Spokesman E.J. Miranda said the Rutgers University Police Department investigated the incident, but the student did not respond to RUPD’s repeated attempts to cooperate. When asked whether the staff member would face any other disciplinary action, Miranda said “such matters related to students or personnel are confidential.”

A Rutgers University staff member appeared to wrap his arm around the throat and chest of a university senior this week ahead of a meeting of the school’s board of governors.

In a story first reported by the university’s Daily Targum, the student identified as Patrick Gibson reportedly began rifling through binders set out for members of the board when a staff member told him to stop.

After Gibson announced that he’d located information about tuition rates in the binder, the staffer ran toward Gibson and threw his arm around the senior, trying to prevent him from reading any further.

“Whoa!” exclaimed Gibson.

“How many times I gotta tell you?” said the man, clearly frustrated. “Three times already, right?”

Rutgers spokesman E.J. Miranda said the altercation was a “misunderstanding between the student and a staff member,” but he added that Rutgers police are investigating.

When asked whether the unidentified staff member would continue working during the investigation, Miranda did not immediately respond.

The university is hiking tuition and fees 1.7 percent for the upcoming academic year for most undergraduates.