When Profs Draw Blood

Academic authors are being mighty naughty these days. Could the power of holding young minds in thrall from that Mount Olympus of a lectern be going to their heads? Arizona State University art-history professor Kate C. Duncan — whose many works on Native American art include Bead Embroidery: The Art of the Northern Athapaskans; Some Warmer Tone: Alaska Athabaskan Bead embroidery; A Special Gift: The Kutchin Beadwork Tradition; Northern Athapaskan Art: A Beadwork Tradition and 1001 Curious Things: Ye Olde Curiosity Shop and Native American Art will be arraigned Feb. 6 on charges that she assaulted the co-founder of the Caucasian American Men of ASU club. Duncan allegedly assaulted Emily Mitchell on Sept. 29 and charges against Duncan were filed Oct. 3, according to the campus newspaper, the State Press: “The alleged assault occurred while Mitchell was outside the Memorial Union recruiting students to join CAMASU — a conservative club that, according to members of the group, is trying to increase equality between races and genders.... Mitchell said Duncan and Claudia Mesch, another professor in the College of Fine Arts, approached her and made harassing comments about the club. Mitchell said she was reaching for her video camera to get the comments on tape when Duncan dug her fingernails into Mitchell's hand and drew blood in an attempt to take the video camera. ‘She didn't just put her hand in front of the lens to cover it,’ Mitchell said. ‘She clawed me, she dug her hand between my index and middle finger on my left hand and drew blood.’” ... And a Southeastern Louisiana University history professor surrendered Wednesday to Baton Rouge authorities, accused in August of attacking a motorist with his fists, then a razor blade, according to a local paper, The Advocate. Samuel C. Hyde, author of several books including Pistols and Politics: The Dilemma of Democracy in Louisiana’s Florida Parishes, 1810-1899, “was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on counts of aggravated second-degree battery and second-degree battery.” Hyde, who has been on the SLU faculty for fifteen years and serves as director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies, surrendered after a Crime Stoppers story aired Tuesday night on WAFB-TV. “In an arrest warrant ... police say Hyde flagged down another motorist after he honked when the professor’s car remained idle at a green light. Once parked in the 3600 block of South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, Hyde allegedly rushed over to the other vehicle and began punching the man in the face. The victim pulled a knife, but before he could defend himself, Hyde is said to have brandished a razor blade and sliced the man’s arm. The wound was so large it took 24 stitches to close up. Hyde then got back in his car and drove away — but not before a witness got a description of the car and license plate, the warrant says.”