Columbus — Luke M. Perez, an Ohio State University assistant professor and scholar of American grand strategy and ethics of war, now finds himself on paid leave after a dramatic altercation with a visiting journalist was caught on video. The footage, filmed in a busy campus hallway, has stirred a mix of concern, curiosity, and debate.
The incident unfolded on February 9 near the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society at Smith Laboratory. Neuman, a documentarian, had been talking with former university president E. Gordon Gee when he attempted a follow-up question. Perez, nearby and engaged with other reporters, intervened.
What happened next was unanticipated by those gathered: the video shows Perez seemingly snatch the camera or phone from Neuman, take hold of his head, and bring him to the floor. It’s a quick sequence, but one that has sparked intense discussion on campus about the line between confrontation and assault.
Perez’s words, caught clearly in the clip, carry a mix of warning and frustration. “I told you not to put that in my face,” he says, repeating that he wouldn’t ask again as the situation escalates. That moment has become central to conversations about personal space, media rights, and professional conduct in academic settings.
For his part, Neuman explained he was trying to press for more answers from Gee when Perez stepped in. D.J. Byrnes, another journalist present, shared the video that made rounds on social platforms almost instantly, drawing national attention.
Ohio State reacted quickly once the video gained traction. By February 11, Perez was placed on paid administrative leave while campus police began an investigation. University officials have been cautious with details, saying they’re reviewing what happened before commenting further.
Perez, a 12-year Air National Guard veteran with previous teaching roles at Arizona State and the University of Missouri, now faces scrutiny not for his scholarship but for a moment that played out in a crowded hallway. The fallout continues as journalists and university officials navigate the aftermath of a single clip that captured a collision between academia and the press.
