Dive Brief:

• Administrators at a Buddhist university and a professor who refused to speak in class are battling over his suspension after complaints that he threatened students.
• Prof. Don Matthews says the suspension was racially motivated; Naropa University officials say his actions posed an immediate threat and mounting complaints merited paid suspension.
• Matthews said he was engaging in silent protest against racial bias on campus during his classes, walking around with a piece of paper explaining his protest and answering questions during the last bit of his classes.

Dive Insight:

One of the complaints filed against Matthews alleged that a student was singled out in class and told that he or she needed therapy. Apart from the eye-catching, back-and-forth allegations, there may actually be one thing that both the school and professor agree on: The university's president acknowledged the school needs to make progress on diversity.