Students

Kennesaw State Places Abby Dawson on Leave While Investigating Viral Video

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Kennesaw State University (KSU) placed an academic adviser on leave shortly after a video of her accusing a student of harassment for sitting in a waiting room without an appointment went viral.

The school announced Abby Dawson, an academic advisor in KSU's Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management, would be placed on administrative leave during the rest of the investigation. Kevin Bruce posted a 30-second video to Twitter on Wednesday showing Dawson accusing him of harassment.

As of Friday night, the video received more than 7,000 retweets and nearly 5,000 favorites and Bruce's story has made national headlines.

"I was shocked, but I wasn't surprised," he told WSB-TV in Atlanta. "I don't know her that well to say it's a race thing, I just know she's disrespectful."

Bruce also said this was not his first time clashing with Dawson, but other KSU students responded to his video and other Twitter posts to share stories of frustration in dealing with the department. Bruce posted screen shots of emails he exchanged with Dawson in Aug. 2014 in which she was not helpful.

It is still not clear what happened before and after Bruce started recording his interaction with Dawson.

"Kennesaw State is dedicated to providing a positive academic experience for all students," Ken Harmon, KSU provost and vice president for academic affairs, said in the press release. "We also have a responsibility to provide all students, faculty and staff with a fair and thorough review process."

The school's review of the incident is expected to last up to two weeks, according to the release.

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