The local filmmaker who was tackled by Ohio State University assistant professor Luke Perez filed a lawsuit against him and another faculty member who witnessed the altercation.
Luke Perez shoved independent journalist Michael Newman to the ground the evening of Feb. 9 outside a classroom in Smith Lab, where Perez had finished co-teaching a class through the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society. Newman and local political blogger DJ Byrnes – who authors a newsletter called "The Rooster" – had stuck around after the class ended to ask former Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee, who'd been a guest lecturer in Perez's class that day, some questions.
Newman filed a lawsuit July 29 in the United States District Court for the Southern
District of Ohio against Perez and Christopher Green, the Chase Center's former associate director who co-taught "Profiles in American Leadership" with Perez. Newman alleges unlawful seizure and retaliation for engaging in First Amendment-protected activity, according to a copy of the legal complaint.
"The First Amendment is at the core of our democracy, and any attack on free speech and a free press is an attack on all of us," Jeff Vardaro, an attorney representing Newman, said in an email. "The fact that Mr. Newman, a documentary filmmaker, was physically attacked by an employee of a supposed free speech center makes it even more important for there to be serious accountability in this case."
Stephen Palmer, listed as Perez's primary attorney in previous Franklin County court records, declined to comment.
Newman had tried to follow Gee into a classroom, at which point Perez blocked his path, smacked his hand, causing his phone to fall, grabbed his shoulder and knocked him down, according to an affidavit previously obtained by The Dispatch.
Perez was placed on paid administrative leave Feb. 10 pending a university police department investigation and charged with one count of assault in Franklin County Municipal Court on Feb. 16. On July 20, he pleaded no contest to an amended charge of disorderly conduct.
Ohio State spokesperson Chris Booker confirmed on July 29 that Perez remains on leave but declined to comment on whether the university's investigation remains ongoing.
Green, who witnessed Perez tackle Newman, "falsely blamed Newman for provoking Perez's physical attack" and had him banned from Smith Lab, according to the legal complaint. Newman claims that Perez and Green acted "in retaliation for the free speech and press activities" of Newman and Byrnes. Both Perez and Green are sued in their personal capacities.
In April, Green self-demoted from his role as the center's associate director to return to his full-time faculty position.
The legal complaint outlines the series of events that took place before Perez tackled Newman, including that Gee answered some of Byrnes' "uncomfortable" questions for roughly six minutes before returning to the classroom he'd been lecturing in. Newman wanted to ask Gee more questions, a request Green and Perez denied.
As Newman took a step toward the classroom door, Perez moved to block his path, prompting Newman to take a step backward, according to the legal complaint. After Perez had slapped and shoved Newman to the ground, the legal complaint states that he stood over Newman, yelling that he'd told him not to put a camera in his face and shoving him again.
Newman alleges that Green contacted his supervisor, Chase Center Director Lee Strang, and falsely informed him that Newman initiated contact with Perez and thereby provoked the attack. The complaint also states Green insinuated to Ohio State police officers that Newman was stalking Gee; that he was mentally ill; that the university's media team had compiled an "entire list" about him; and that he had been putting his hand on his belt in a way that suggested he might have a weapon.
"Defendant Green's false statements to Strang and the dispatcher resulted in the OSU Police opening a criminal assault investigation, in which they considered Mr. Newman a perpetrator, rather than the victim, of a violent attack," the complaint states.
Newman is asking a jury to award compensatory and punitive damages as well as a court order declaring that his constitutional rights were violated. The lawsuit also seeks attorney fees, court costs, interest and other relief the court deems appropriate.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Filmmaker tackled by OSU professor sues, alleging First Amendment violation
