A Portland State University professor accused a student in the middle of class of being an FBI informant.
John B. Hall, a tenured economics professor, also declared that the student had worked for the Israeli army and had sold weapons to other classmates.
Economics professor at Portland State University John Hall
The student Zaki Bucharest stood up after the accusations were made during class, said that he had in fact been in the Israeli army, but denied the other accusations before walking out.
Accused student Zaki Bucharest
In a letter to the student newspaper, The Vanguard, the professor had this to say:
“I decided to take a stand,” Hall said in the letter. “I observed the situation becoming extremely dangerous, not only for me but for about eight of my very finest students. I felt that what I had to do should not have been my responsibility.”
Hall’s lost his teaching responsibilities, but the university is still deciding on a punishment for the professor while they investigate.
Bucharest had this to say in a statement:
“I have never been affiliated with the FBI in any way, and I have never been an informant. I have never in any way done anything to incite violence at PSU. I have admired Professor Hall since I first took a class from him and cannot imagine what I did or said to cause him to treat me the way he did.”