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Xavier University in Louisiana fired two public safety officers after students were locked in the cafeteria and pepper sprayed by the officers during a midnight breakfast event Tuesday morning.
"I watched my friend scream that he couldn't breathe and his eyes were burning all while his face was bloodshot red," a student who wished to remain anonymous told WDSU, the news outlet that first reported the incident. "The officer's response was to put him in handcuffs as if he was a threat and keep the cuffs on him as he yelled out in pain."
Jacques S. Battiste, director of public safety at Xavier, also submitted his resignation.
“I am deeply disturbed by the incident that took place on Monday night involving our students. Incidents like these do not reflect the core values of our university and are unacceptable,” Reynold Verret, president of Xavier, said in a statement. “The well-being and safety of every Xavier University student is of paramount importance, and we will ensure that we hold ourselves and each other accountable for any action that violates that commitment or does not abide with our mission.”
