According to a call received by the Tribune, a criminology professor was asked to leave his class after a student reported feeling uncomfortable.

The caller said criminology professor Richard Zevitz patted down students as part of a demonstration, and then, when talking about the concealed carry law in Wisconsin, said if an active shooter came into the classroom, he would shoot the shooter and possibly a few students he did not like. Some students reportedly felt uncomfortable enough to report it to the dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Keisha Harper, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said although Zevitz might seem strange at first, he just has a dark sense of humor.

“I remember coming in freshmen year and thinking that this man is a little bit out there, kinda crazy, but then again, I was a freshman at Marquette, and I didn’t really understand the criminology department,” Harper said. “I came to the realization that (Zevitz) isn’t crazy, he just kind of has a sick sense of humor.”

Harper added that through working with police officers and those in the criminology field, she realized that a darker sense of humor is needed to be in that line or work.

The caller also said Zevitz was escorted out of the classroom, but Brian Dorrington, senior director of university communication, said that was untrue.

Dorrington said students were informed their remaining two classes were cancelled, but their final exam would still take place.

He also added in an email that the college will continue to monitor the situation and “ensure all students are fairly evaluated academically.”

Marcos Salamone, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, had Zevitz as a teacher and said he never acted as described by the caller.

“I was very surprised when I heard about it,” Salamone said. “I had already taken a course with him, and he never did that or acted that way.”