Jahiem Green said he believes he was expelled from school because he questioned the way he was being treated.
ARLINGTON, Texas — When Jahiem Green signed his letter of intent to play basketball at Arlington Baptist University, he felt like his passion and faith were aligning.
“I was very excited,” Green recalls. “I’ve been playing basketball all my life, and it’s my dream to play professionally. Going to college was my next step in that.”
His dream of playing at the North Texas institution was cut short just weeks into his first semester after he was dismissed in September.
It started with a text message Green received from Dean Peggy Smith, ABU’s vice president of student affairs, accusing Green of living off campus. He was directed to send Smith an email to follow up.
“I was very nervous,” Green said. “I was also kind of scared because freshmen have to live on campus, and they were accusing me of living off campus and that would mess up me playing basketball for that year.”
Green responded asking for the “rationale behind this message”. He wrote that he was living on campus and was paying for housing. He finished his response by asking, “What is going on?”
Days later, Green received a document notifying him he was dismissed from the university. In the document, Smith wrote that “as a result of the nature” of Green’s tone in his initial response, Smith directed him to meet with her in person.
“I thought it would be very important to have someone that I trust in the meeting with me for support,” Green said.
In response to Smith’s directive for a meeting, Green wrote that he would prefer they either communicate in writing or that the meeting be scheduled for a time when he could have another adult present.
“Unfortunately, you do not have that option, Sir,” Smith wrote back, re iterating the time she originally selected for their meeting.
“She gave me the option to reschedule in the beginning, but when I asked for a representative, she took my option to reschedule away. She also denied me the right to a representative, and it just seemed like something wasn’t right,” Green said.
Green provided WFAA with copies of the emails exchanged between Green and Smith. The messages are identical to the messages Smith cited in the dismissal document. The two went back-and-forth about when they would meet and whether Green could have someone of his choosing in the room to accompany him.
At one point, Smith wrote, “Jahiem, I am totally confused with your responses. This is not a punitive meeting. I simply need to speak with you about your response to use as a teachable moment.”
Eventually, they did meet.
Green said he began recording the conversation less than a minute after it started.
“I wasn’t even thinking about recording because I didn’t think it would get this far, but as soon as we had the meeting she was saying that the text message made her feel very uncomfortable and I was being disrespectful which I wasn’t,” Green said. “My mom always told me these things are important to record, especially if you need to have them for proof. I just started recording for my safety.”
Green provided multiple video clips of the conversation, during which he questions the purpose of the meeting if he wasn’t violating the school’s policy by living off campus and asks why he was denied a representative in the room.
Smith said the purpose of the meeting was to provide Green with a teachable moment.
“I wasn’t going to lambast you or punish you or any of those things,” Smith said in one of the clips. “I was simply going to have a heart-to-heart conversation with you to explain how I perceived the text message you sent as inappropriate.”
While Green is heard throughout the meeting questioning the administration’s position on the issue, he’s never heard raising his voice or using profane language. However, Smith said Green “took things to the next level” with his push back and stated that there would be consequences.
At the end of the video clips, Green is heard asking “the consequences are for how y’all perceived my text messages?”
“And your behavior right now,” Smith replied.
Hours later, Green received the noticed of his dismissal. Smith wrote that his behavior in the meeting was “egregious”.
“I didn’t use any profanity,” Green said. “I was very respectful. It makes no sense, and I feel like they’re just throwing the word egregious around.”
The disciplinary procedures listed in ABU’s student handbook, which Smith cited in the dismissal letter, include a four-tiered system for campus discipline. The policy states students “may be subject to dismissal” after a fourth violation. However, there is a written exception for a violation that “perceived as egregious”.
Green was dismissed from the school just hours after his meeting with Smith. He said she was never given a formal verbal warning, write-up or fine as is laid out in the policy.
“That was just very extreme,” Green said.
He believes he was expelled from school because he questioned the way he was being treated.
WFAA reached out to Smith for clarity on why Green was dismissed. She provided a statement, reading in part:
“Our university is dedicated to upholding a safe and respectful environment for all students, and we take any violation of our code of conduct very seriously. Our policies apply equally to all students, and every student is expected to adhere to them as we strive to ensure that all disciplinary actions are fair, consistent, and in the best interest of our college community. Those who fail to comply will face appropriate consequences. It is regrettable that some students or parents believe they should be exempt from the same policies that apply to everyone else. “
In response to a follow-up question about what specific policies Green violated, Smith provided this statement:
“I am prayerful that you can appreciate my initial hesitancy in responding to your inquiries because of our desire to protect and respect the student’s privacy. While I cannot share details from our side, the student has all the necessary documents to support the reason for his dismissal, including a denial of his appeal that provides full disclosure.”
Green confirmed that he did make an appeal to the university about the decision, but his appeal was denied. In an email he provided to WFAA, he was told:
“After careful consideration, the committee has decided not to grant your readmittance to ABU at this time. Know that we pray for your success as you attempt to navigate through this difficult time and encourage you to fulfill your dream by ultimately completing your education.”
Green has been home in the Killeen area for months, unable to transfer to another school because he isn’t able to get his transcripts due to ABU holding them until his balance is paid to the university.
“I really want my transcripts. I want all the debt to be cleared because that is ridiculous,” Green said.
Ironically, one of the charges on his account is for on-campus housing.
“It’s very un-Christian-like, especially for a Baptist school,” Green said.
Green has filed an appeal with the Association of Higher Biblical Education, which is ABU’s accrediting body. The organization informed him in December that it had received all necessary documents to review his appeal and will consider whether ABU acted within the policies for its accreditation.
Additionally, Green and his family hired a law firm to help them navigate this process, with hopes that he can get his transcript and a fresh start along with it.