A case against a Christian student from Rollins College was dismissed after his Muslim professor failed to appear in the hearing and subsequently withdrew her case against the student.
According to the document released by the court, the case versus Rollins College student Marshall Polston was dismissed because his Humanities professor Areeje Zufari failed to show up in the scheduled hearing and was unable to show enough evidence to back her charges. It was also revealed that she submitted a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal to the court, which dismissed the case.
Zufari filed an injunction for protection against Polston as she accused him of stalking.
The student maintained his innocence and denied that he stalked his professor. He said that the accusations came after he questioned the teacher’s anti-Christianity remarks in class. Zufari taught the students that the crucifixion of Jesus was not real and that his disciples did not believe in his deity.
A devout Christian, Polston challenged the professor’s claims. He told Central Florida Post that after the discussion, he got a failing mark on one of his essays. When he approached his teacher to ask the reason for the 52% mark and for inputs regarding his work, Zufari refused.
“I was upset, understandably. I’ve never gotten anything less than straight A’s, so I was really interested in figuring out how to possibly improve or at least understand the grade,” he said.
However, instead of discussing his work, Polston was reported to the Dean of Safety. Zufari alleged that the student made her feel “unsafe” and she had to cancel class due to that.
Polston also reported that another Muslim student in his class made scathing remarks about homosexuals and adulterers and described that the “good punishment for gays, adulterers, and thieves was the removal of a certain body part, as determined by Sharia law.”
The professor failed to report the incident to the school despite the many students who felt uncomfortable with the statements. After this incident, Polston was summoned to the Dean of Safety where the terms of his suspension were discussed.
Since the case filed in court was dismissed, Rollins College has reinstated Polston in the school. Efforts to get Professor Zufari’s side on the matter remain unsuccessful.
