NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Two campus police officers at Xavier University have been fired and the university’s public safety director resigned after some students said they were pepper-sprayed in a campus building.
Students told New Orleans news outlets it happened in a cafeteria following the regular “midnight breakfast” held ahead of final exams.
Students said cafeteria workers became upset that dishes were left on the tables and called campus police. They said police prevented students from leaving, even pepper-spraying some. Cellphone video provided to WWL-TV and WDSU-TV showed chaos and confusion.
Xavier said two officers, whose names weren’t released, were fired. Public safety director Jacque Battiste resigned.
In a news release, Xavier’s president, Reynold Verret, said he was “deeply disturbed” by the incident. He promised initiatives “to address student concerns related to the incident.”
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