What did Ernest Kanevsky and Yuguo Bai do? USC sues YouTubers over prank videos 

The University of Southern California is suing YouTubers Ernest Kanevsky and Yuguo Bai for making prank videos on campus. The duo have been accused of barging into classes and creating panic among students.

This is not the first time Kanevsky has attempted such a feat, in fact, he has created similar videos at the University of California, Los Angeles, and California State University, Long Beach.

He is a successful content creator with over 100k subscribers. His YouTube videos focus on pranks in places like schools, parks, gyms, etc.

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Ernest Kanevsky and Yuguo Bai forced students to flee from their classroom

According to the court documents, the pair took over running lectures and caused “terror and disruption” in the university’s Mark Taper Hall of Humanities. The two are not USC students, and have performed three of these “classroom takeover.”

In the latest incident, on March 29, Ernest Kanevsky and Yuguo Bai hijacked a lecture on the Holocaust, where they dressed up and pretended to be “a member of the Russian Mafia” and Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss is a popular brand that used to be a manufacturer of Nazi uniforms. The company's founder was also an active member of the Nazi party until the capitulation of Nazi Germany.

The duo pretended to get into an argument over lending money and scared the students who were present in the class.

According to documents presented at the court, the frightened students fled the class, "tripping over seats and leaving behind laptops and backpacks," in fear of classroom violence.

One student told USC Annenberg Media:

“I was near the door and I started running out, everyone just left in a really big panic.”

Professor Ratskoff from USC wrote in explaining the incident in an email, saying:

“While it appears that the event was a part of some kind of prank, the intrusion naturally created panic, as lectures on the Holocaust, antisemitism, and racism have previously been targets for harassment and violence."

He continued:

“I myself made the split-second decision that it was better to follow those fleeing students rather than to wait and see if this was indeed a prank.”

Kanevsky and Bai were arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department after the incident.

The university is seeking a temporary restraining order against Ernest Kanevsky and Yuguo Bai, as well as compensation for damages, attorney fees and other lawsuit expenses.

The lawsuit blamed the pair for causing concern and emotional distress to student parents and faculty. It read:

“The defendants’ conduct has caused University students to experience emotional distress and genuine fear for their personal wellbeing; against the national background of active shooter concerns on college campuses.”

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Ernest Kanevsky and Yuguo Bai have attempted similar pranks in the past

They attempted a similar feat on November 12, 2021, when Kanevsky, Bai and two additional people entered a classroom in Squid Game attire. Bai pretended to be running from someone and told the professor that he needed help. Kanevsky then entered the class, chased Bai and fake-kidnapped him. All four of them successfully fled the scene before the Department of Public Safety arrived in the classroom.

Earlier, in late September 2021, Kanevsky and Bai, along with a third person, interrupted a data science lecture and told the professor that Kanevsky’s father owned the school. He claimed that he was there to "supervise" the class.

The YouTubers then proceeded to escort the professor out of the class, labeling him "boring" and "dangerous." After which, they began lecturing about the benefits of marijuana. Successfully fleeing the scene again.

The YouTubers violated the university policy on all three occasions, as lecture halls and classes are inaccessible to the public. Neither Ernest Kanevsky nor Yuguo Bai have yet made any comment on the lawsuit.