WATCH: Video showing arrest of Winston-Salem State University student over argument with professor goes viral online

On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, a student at North Carolina's Winston-Salem State University was arrested after reportedly arguing with a professor. Footage of the incident, which took place in a classroom, has since gone viral on TikTok.

In the footage, the Winston-Salem State University student can be seen crying and frantically screaming at the professor as two officers handcuff her. She also claims that the professor began yelling at her and that she wasn't at fault.

University officials reported that the altercation escalated after a disagreement over a class assignment. The student can be heard screaming:

“I hate you, I hate you. I swear to God, I hate you. You’re the worst teacher ever, you get me taken out in handcuffs because I won’t apologize? Because I won’t apologize?”

The student, Leila Hamoud, has reportedly been charged with disorderly conduct.

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Winston-Salem State University students respond to the arrest

According to reports, Leila Hamoud said that the argument stemmed from a class assignment in which she was required to write a skit. She stated that 6 hours before she was supposed to present the project, the teacher told her it had to be entirely redone.

Hamoud said:

“I’m talking to two of my group members. She was like [the essay] is wrong and you should redo it or it would impact my grade.”

She added:

“She starts getting loud, yelling at me, telling me it’s her class so it doesn’t matter what I think. I’m getting loud back, I’m not going to sit here and lie to you guys. I got loud back, I was raising my voice, too.”

CNN reported that since Winston-Salem State University is a traditionally black school, many students felt uncomfortable with the arrest of a student on campus due to the history of police brutality against minority groups.

A student told WXII reporters:

"That situation did not have to involve the police at all. It was just a simple a simple verbal argument that did get loud, did get out of hand, but there was no physical harm (...) no type of threat."

Elwood L Robinson, the University's Chancellor, acknowledged this issue in an official statement to students. Robinson wrote:

“We understand that the weaponization of police is a prevalent problem in our community; however, that is not what happened in this incident."

The statement continued:

“We strive for a safe, inclusive, thriving, and intellectual community where all our faculty, staff, and students feel respected and supported. To that end, we will take swift and appropriate measures against any situation that contradicts those ideals.”

As per Haley Gingles, a Winston-Salem State University Spokesperson, the police were not called by the professor involved in the argument but rather by a separate member of staff.