An incident Thursday on the University of Oregon campus ended with an adjunct law professor arrested for second-degree theft and physical harassment, university police officials say.

University of Oregon adjunct law professor James L. Olmsted was arrested at 2:41 p.m. outside the Erb Memorial Union after he confronted a group of protesting students from the

group, said

spokesman Kelly McIver.

In an open letter posted on The Daily Emerald's website, members said the group was formerly known as Students for Palestinian Liberation.



"Now, we have combined SPL with other students and community members organizing for justice on the Mexico/USA border—with particular emphasis on how the two issues interconnect."

The incident was captured on video by several people and posted on YouTube, and shows Olmsted arguing forcefully with several students. At one point, he snatches away the cellphone of a student digitally recording the incident; the phone was recovered by police and resulted in the theft charge, McIver said.

Olmsted, 58, was also charged with two counts of physical harassment, escorted off campus and given a letter of trespass, which bars him from entering the campus for at least 18 months. He was not jailed, but cited in lieu of custody, McIver said.



WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

McIver said the charges have been forwarded to the Eugene city prosecutor and, based on additional interviews with people at the scene, could result in additional charges against Olmsted.

Adjunct professors are not tenured or on a tenured track, McIver said. Rather, they're instructors from the community who occasionally teach classes on a term-to-term or year-to-year contract.

University spokesman Phil Weiler said Olmsted's

teaching responsibilities at the university's law school have been reassigned to associate dean for academic affairs Adell Amos.

Weiler issued a statement that said the university "honors and values the free exchange of ideas. We expect all members of the campus community to conduct themselves with the highest degree of respect for public discourse."