Video provided by Anonymous Source
Published August 31, 2021
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
An anonymous source shared cellphone video footage of a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) student being approached by UTC Police and then forcibly removed from class for not complying with the school’s mask mandate.
In the cellphone footage, the student is heard saying “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
The officer states, “They have every right to ask you not to come here.”
Another anonymous source confirmed the individual is a 41-year-old male student at UTC. The Tennessee Conservative reached out to the student for comment.
Also on August 30th, The Tennessee Conservative reached out to UTC Chancellor Steven Angle, several Vice-Chancellors, the UTC Communications and Marketing contact, as well as the UTC Police for comment.
Among others, we asked the questions: Could you provide us with a statement regarding the 41- year- old student that was removed from class by UTC Police for not wearing a mask? Will he be permitted to come back to class? Will he be given a tuition refund if he refuses to follow campus guidelines? Is it true that the student was forcibly removed from class?
Gina Stafford, Interim Vice Chancellor (Division of Communications and Marketing) replied, “While federal law (FERPA) generally prohibits the improper disclosure of personally identifiable information derived from education records, I can confirm for you that UTC police have never arrested a student for a mask violation.”
However, in our communications with the school we never used the word “arrested”. We referred to the event as an “incident”.
The official response of the school currently appears to be side-stepping the issue.
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We reached out to the school again this morning (August 31st) for clarification of their statement, to reiterate our questions and to give them a chance for transparency.
However, they declined further comment.
We have also submitted two Open Records Requests to the UTC Police Department for the bodycam footage of the officer involved along with any and all internal/external communication regarding the event.
Stafford replied to our Open Records request by stating, “The public records request you submitted today to the UTC Police Department is being reviewed and processed. I will contact you again when there is an update on its status or by close of business on Friday, Sept. 3, whichever comes first.”
The Tennessee Conservative will continue to investigate and post updates as new information surfaces.
On August 2nd, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga announced that to start the semester, they will be requiring mask-wearing by the entire campus community, regardless of vaccination status.
On UTC’s website, they outline the possible outcomes for non-compliance with campus COVID policies:
- Students, Student Organizations, and Employees who fail to comply with the requirements of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action.
- Contractors and Visitors who fail to comply with the requirements of this policy may be trespassed from campus either indefinitely or for a defined period of time. The University, as deemed appropriate in its sole discretion, may take other measures against a Contractor or Visitor for non-compliance of the requirements of this policy.
- Non-compliance with any requirements of this policy by Students should be reported to and will be addressed by the Office of Student Conduct.
- Non-compliance with any requirements of this policy by Employees should be reported to and will be addressed by the Office of Human Resources
- Non-compliance with any requirements of this policy by Contractors should be reported to and will be addressed by the contract administrator or the Office of Procurement and Contract Services.
- Non-compliance with any requirements of this policy by Visitors should be reported to and will be addressed by the UTC Police Department.
The same general set of rules also applies to all other UT System schools including: UT Knoxville, UT Institute of Agriculture, UT Chattanooga, UT Martin, UT Southern and the UT Health Science Center.
Tennessee Conservatives have already begun to speak out about the incident on social media. Here is just a few of the selection of comments we received from our posts on Facebook.
Clay White said, “This is exactly what you should expect from a government-funded institution. No surprise here.”
Cat French said, “I was at UT Knox yesterday, and some students didn’t have masks on. It does say to wear them but no one said anything that I saw.”
Jane Redmond said, “Making an example of those who buck their rule. Feeding fear among the young to comply. These schools need to be emptied out in these days. The young should reject them for now, standing up for their future as FREE CITIZENS against tyranny by our current institutions who have chosen MONEY over them, over freedom, over their futures.”
About the Author:
Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Directory for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
16 Responses
https://rumble.com/vlfp37-literal-mask-expert-opens-a-can-on-school-board.html
This right here tells it all. Also Dr. Petty..youtube. these institutions need to understand that masking does NOT help with the transmission of covid. It is a jester of submission!
Shannon how right you are but the underlying issue here is Governmental Control! This type of thing should not be happening in America! We have always been a Free nation and if we allow that to be subverted now, we are Doomed forever!! So please keep fighting. I and many others are fighting right alongside you!
I THINK THIS WHOLE MASK MANDATE IS BULLSH**! IF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE NOT WEARING A MASK THEN GET VACCINATED IT WORKS RIGHT??????????????
WRONNNNNNNNG!!!!!!!!!! THE MASK DOESNT WORK EITHER BUT TRUST IT MORE THAN THE POISON PEOPLE ARE GETTING INJECTED INTO THEIR BODIES! THE FDA APPROVED ONE VACCINE ONLY BECAUSE A MAJORITY ARE NOT GETTING IT THINKING WE WOULD THINK OH OK BEING ITS APPROVED BYBTHE FDA THEN ITS OK TO GET IT???? NOTTTTT! LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER FOODS AND DRUGS THESE CLOWNS APPROVED THAT HAVE KILLED PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY JUST STAMP APPROVED JUST TO MAKE MILLIONS AT THE PRICE OF AMERICAN CITIZENS!!! THE FDA CDC AND THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT ARE OUT FOR TWO THINGS CONTOL TACTICS AND SUPPRESSING OUR COUNTRY INTO A COMMUNIST REGIEN! WE ARE NOT AS STUPID AS THE GOVERNMENT THINKS WE ARE WAKE UP AMERICA! AND BACK TO THE KID IN SCHOOL IF ITS A RULE TO WEAR A MASK AND HE REFUSES THEN HE CAN DO HOME SCHOOLING PERIOD!
I thought that any institution receiving federal money could not require a vaccine or a mask.
Tracie, absolutely. None of this makes any sense at all. According to Dr. Fauci, the CDC and the Liberal media, masks are effective at preventing the spread of COVID and the vaccines are supposed to prevent the vaccinated from catching it, right? So why in the World are they worried about what you or I do? It is our choice if we choose to risk it is it not? smdh!
Let the truth be known rules are rules we have a choice we either follow them or we don’t participate That’s where our freedom is however if I was going to a school like that in today’s times with with the risk of viral infection if the mask do help in any way shape or form and the rules say to wear them I would either wear them as or not go to make it political case out of this is downright stupid come on grow up!
You need to educate yourself about the effectiveness of most masks that are being sold to consumers. People need to do their own research on this matter. Also educate yourself on the Constitution. That way you will know your GOD given rights and that is the truth. The government did not give us our rights. In GOD we trust not man or government. The truth is out here, stop being a “lemming”. Myself if I have to wear a mask to enter, I won’t go. It is one of my rights granted by GOD. It is called freedom of choice. One last thought. If masks, social distancing, lockdowns and vaccines worked. Why after a year and a half are we still chasing “all these covid cases” ? What happened to all the other viruses like the flu, etc. just wondering? The more you let the government take your “rights” the only person you can blame when you don’t have any “rights” left is yourself.
My thoughts exactly!
The solution is simple, mass non-compliance. They can pick and choose if just a small few decide not to obey a mask mandate, but if they’re forced to face hundreds if not thousands that are unmasked and exercising their freedom they will bend. They’ll have no other choice.
Idk about this. First, there seem to be SO MANY BIGGER FISH TO FRY in our fight to remain free. Did this individual accomplish anything? IDK. Of all the Marxist, Woke-ist, America-bashing BS in our schools, this issue seems minor, and poorly thought out. Consider the mindset of his audience… his protest may seem ridiculous or laughable to many students -and anger their parents. The Left can use this as propaganda to trivialize conservatives. We need to win the hearts and minds of through inspiration -not alienate them further. Remember, millions of Americans have been spoon-fed liberal propaganda in classrooms since pre-k. Choose your battles wisely and consider the impact of your actions on your audience. Remember, it’s not just about you (us)! There are (supposedly) 80 Million gullible fools in our country who voted for more leftist insanity in 2020. I’ve only heard (1) single person publicly admit they regret voting Democrat so far. There must be at least a few people who regret their votes after seeing the disaster unfolding in DC. There must be a percentage of liberals who have at least a shred of personal/intellectual integrity, who are questioning the what the MSM has been feeding them. We have a short window of time to influence those who are having second thoughts! Maybe they will open their eyes now that the Dems are running us off a Quadrillion dollar cliff. Talk to your liberal friends and neighbors tactfully. Post tactful thoughts online. I’m guilty of venting myself, and I should know better! It feels good to say “I told you so” and post derogatory memes, but “I told you so” doesn’t change attitudes for many. Most will dig in and double-down on their mistakes. Starting today, I will resist venting and write positive posts on social media that champion conservative leaders, and American history.
Full disclosure: some conservatives like myself, have lost loved ones to this CCP bioweapon, and it’s a gruesome way to die. I have elderly relatives and friend who I care deeply about, so I am willing to adopt strategies such as wearing a mask in an enclosed space if it might spare one of my family, friends, or others from becoming another victim of the CCP.
Be aware, Atlanta has plans to make Chattanooga its’ largest suburb in your children’s lifetime…
Looks like the UT system has been taken over by liberals who simply want to be able to control what everyone does!
This looks like a violation of this man’s civil rights!
It is a violation of the man’s rights under the 14th amendment of the U.S Constitution.
Under the 14th amendment of the U.S Constitution Section 5 it states: “a State’s interest in the protection of life falls short of justifying any plenary override of individual liberty” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/personal_autonomy
While this was Roe’s opinion in the case of Roe v Wade in 1973, the court seemed to uphold it in Casey v Planned Parenthood in 1992. I would concur. Further, the attempt to force any citizen, whether child or adult, with a respiratory condition severe enough to be life threatening, such as COPD or Asthma, to wear a piece of cloth covering both the nose and mouth, is in violation of Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act of (ADA) of 1990. Wherein it states:
“No private or public entity shall coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any individual in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of his or her having exercised or enjoyed, or on account of his or her having aided or encouraged any other individual in the exercise or enjoyment of, any right granted or protected by the Act or this part.”
I am not able to locate the exact site where I found this (was last year) but it is easily Googled. I thought I had it bookmarked but apparently, not anymore.
Americans With Disabilities Act – Title iii – sub section 36.207 and 36.208. Here is the link. https://www.ada.gov/reg3a.html#Anchor-37516
After wearing a mask for 8 hours needs to be tested. Where is the science and peer review? Masks due nothing to protect you from Covid-19. You let the government control one emergency and there will always be another. UTC should be ashamed of themselves. I know I am.