Professors trade stories about seizing the cell phones of students who text during class or whose tones sound during a lecture. 
 
 Frank J. Rybicki, assistant professor of mass media at Valdosta State University, did the equivalent last week when he shut the laptop of a student who was allegedly web surfing as opposed to taking notes. She filed a complaint (reportedly about a finger or fingers that were hurt when he shut the laptop) and the university's police arrested him on a charge of battery. The Georgia institution suspended his teaching duties there, although not his pay. 
 
 Reached on the phone, Rybicki confirmed his arrest and suspension, and said that he had been told by the university not to answer questions about the incident. He did say that the article and comments in the student newspaper, The Spectator, were accurate. That article quoted students who saw the incident as saying that Rybicki closed the laptop amid an argument with the student over his view that she had been on websites not related to the course. 
 
 The article also quoted students of Rybicki as saying that they were concerned that an outstanding professor had been arrested and might have his career disrupted. (Rybicki does not have tenure.) 
 
 Comments on the site said that the student had been warned to stop surfing the web and had ignored the professor. Generally, the comments were supportive of the professor and critical of the student. "Arrested for battery. For closing a laptop? Did it break the students fingers or something? I was thinking he hit a student with a computer. Simply closing it may be a little trivial to ruin a man's entire life over don't ya think?" said one comment. 
 
 The comments from those saying that they were in class suggested doubt about the extent of the injuries to the student's fingers and surprise that the incident had led to an arrest. Another comment said: "If this teacher shut the laptop so hard that her arms were somehow mangled, fine ... but seriously, she had PLENTY ... PLENTY of other options. A. Don’t be so rude in a classroom. B. If you are going to play on your laptop ... either don’t take the laptop to class, or don’t take yourself to class. C. Do what the teacher says for half a second; he/she probably knows more than you do so grow up and take some responsibilities; College isn’t another episode of High School where you can get away with being a distraction; some people here WANT to learn, if you don’t care, ... then get out! Or at least be somewhat polite." 
 
 While he declined to discuss the incident specifically, Rybicki did answer a few questions. Asked if students shouldn't look at non-class websites while in class, he said that was "pretty obvious." Asked if he had ever caused physical harm to any student, he said "absolutely not, never." 
 
 Several students who were in the class said that they were told by the university not to discuss the incident. The head of the Faculty Senate referred all questions to the university's spokeswoman, Thressea H. Boyd. Via e-mail, Boyd said, "The university is investigating an incident involving a faculty member and this matter will be processed through the appropriate legal channels. In terms of class instruction, modifications have been made. All employees are expected to perform their obligations and responsibilities in a professional manner." 
 
 As to university policy on laptop use in class, she said that "the use of computers during classroom instruction is within the discretion of each professor at the university." 
 
 Samuel Logan, a Valdosta State student who was not in the course, but who has taken other classes with Rybicki, said via e-mail that he admired Rybicki. "He cares about his students and our grades, always making sure we do our best." As for what reportedly happened in class, Logan said that an arrest "was not justified because he is a great teacher and she was on Facebook, when we know not to be on other sites while the teacher is teaching." ||||| A mass media professor is facing battery charges in connection with an incident that occurred in his 10 a.m. law class Friday, March 25. 
 
 Assistant Professor, Dr. Frank J. Rybicki, was arrested Wednesday around 10:30 a.m., according to the Valdosta State University Police Department. 
 
 Dr. Rybicki is free on bail as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff Department. 
 
 According to the original incident report, a 22-year-old female student went to the VSUPD to report an assault involving a faculty member in the mass media building. 
 
 The altercation occurred when Dr. Rybicki allegedly closed a laptop computer on the hands of the student, said Dorsena Drakeford, another student in the class and Spectator sports editor. 
 
 Dr. Rybicki closed the laptop because he thought the student was on non-class related websites. The student began to argue with Dr. Rybicki about closing the laptop and about the websites she visited while in class. Class was dismissed early because Dr. Rybicki seemed upset by the incident, Drakeford said. 
 
 When students returned to the same class on Monday, they were greeted, not by their teacher, but instead two VSUPD officers. 
 
 The students who had not witnessed the incident were asked to leave. The remaining students were advised by the officers not to talk to anybody about the incident and that police could find out if information about this incident was put on Facebook or Twitter, Drakeford said. 
 
 VSUPD Major Ann Farmer told The Spectator it is standard procedure to advise witnesses not to talk about the incident. 
 
 Other students refused to comment, saying that they feared what other professors in the department might do if they talked about the incident. 
 
 “We cannot release any information other than the incident report,” Farmer said. 
 
 The Spectator attempted to contact Dr. Carl Cates, head of Communication Arts, and Dr. Larry Etling, head of the Mass Media area, for comments Wednesday afternoon, but both were unavailable. 
 
 Dr. Cates and Dr. Frank Barnas were in Dr. Rybicki’s classes Wednesday. They told students to keep up with readings, but wouldn’t give them any information about who would be teaching the classes from now on, Drakeford said. 
 
 When asking for a comment from the department, The Spectator was sent to Thressea Boyd, assistant to the president for communications. 
 
 “The university is investigating an incident involving a faculty member and this matter will be processed through the appropriate legal channels,” according to an official statement from the university sent from Boyd. 
 
 “In terms of class instruction, modifications have been made,” according to the statement. 
 
 The Spectator also asked Boyd about the existence of a faculty code of conduct. The university statement included this response. 
 
 “All employees are expected to perform their obligations and responsibilities in a professional manner,” the statement expressed. “Additionally, employees are governed by the policies and procedures of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and Valdosta State University.” 
 
 Many students are concerned about the future of Rybicki’s classes and losing the professor. Some, like Josias Valdez, mass media major, feel he was simply enforcing a school rule about using social media in class, and that he shouldn’t be blamed for that. 
 
 “[Dr. Rybicki] is one of the best teachers in the mass media system,” Valdez said. “The school should stand behind him. It’s a disgrace that we’ll lose a great teacher that I don’t think we should lose.” 
 
 Samuel Logan, junior mass media major, agreed with Valdez. 
 
 “I don’t think that the mass media department should lose a great teacher for something so trivial,” Logan said. “If he does get fired, VSU has lost a great professor.”
– A professor who got fed up with a student surfing the Internet instead of taking notes has been arrested and suspended for closing her laptop. Frank Rybicki, a professor of mass media at Valdosta State University, was arrested for battery after the student complained that her finger had been hurt when he closed the computer. The professor tells Inside Higher Ed that the Georgia university has told him not to discuss the incident, although he stresses that he has never harmed a student. Other students say the student who filed charges had been warned to stop looking at Facebook and other sites during lectures. They described Rybicki as an outstanding professor who cares deeply about his students and their grades. Rybicki "is one of the best teachers in the mass media system,” one student tells the VSU Spectator. “The school should stand behind him. It’s a disgrace that we’ll lose a great teacher that I don’t think we should lose.”