Students call cops on Tarrant College professor after strange behavior

The man on the balcony is Daniel Mashburn, an adjunct professor of astronomy at the Tarrant County College Northeast campus.

Mashburn, seen here in a picture from his Facebook page tried to explain his behavior during class Tuesday night.

"no I thought I'd start this year a little different"

Student April McLeod shot this video of Mashburn being questioned in the hallway by Campus Police, called there by students who were frightened at the way he began his class, the way he was speaking..and the way he was dressed.

Mike McGlothin, Student: "he turned off the lights as soon as he walked in adamant about the lights had to be off had his clothing covering you could only see his eyes his hat was down low his scarf was over his face and everything and from that he was just really bizarre"

APRIL MCLEOD, TCC STUDENT: "I was in class for about 5 minutes he kept messing with his pocket and you could tell there was an object in the right hand pocket and whenever he went to pull out his hand I started having this really bad feeling and jumped op land ran out of the classroom.

Police did not find any weapons on the professor and did not arrest him. Mashburn agreed to talk with us, but refused to come down from his apartment balcony for the interview.

"ARE YOU AWARE THAT YOU SCARED SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS? Why should they be afraid? WELL YOU WOULDN'T SHOW YOUR FACE. Many people do not show their faces and many countries they do not show their faces. WELL HERE IN AMERICA WE TEND TO USUALLY SHOW OUR FACE WHEN WE ARE A PROFESSOR AT A COLLEGE THAT'S TYPICALLY THE STANDARD. Oh yes but I do not answer to your standard I am not a Christian I am not a Jew I'm a Muslim."

Masburn repeatedly deflected questions and several times said his teaching of Astronomy goes hand in hand with Islam.

"SIR WHEN YOU INTERVIEWED WITH TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE TO GET THIS JOB DID YOU EXPLAIN TO THEM YOUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY? Haha I keep it secret I keep it safe I do my best but I am tired of hiding in the shadows I am tired of fearing their law I fear Allah*

Tarrant County College issued a statement that said little, only that it was aware of the incident and administrators are investigating.

"WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THOSE STUDENTS WHO WERE FRIGHTENED ENOUGH LAST NIGHT THEY HAD TO CALL NINE-ONE-ONE? I do not know why they fear me why are they afraid I'm a man who covers his face in his hand I offer you nothing but the Koran a book and the universe the universe is in my hand right here you can look at it"


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