Student in gorilla mask with bananas, nooses charged after Black Lives Matter face-off at ETSU

A barefoot man wearing overalls and a gorilla mask, trying to hand out noose-wrapped bananas to Black Lives Matter demonstrators, was taken away by East Tennessee State University public safety officers Wednesday afternoon.

According to a news release from the public safety office, freshman Tristan Rettke was charged with civil rights intimidation. Saying Rettke's actions "go against the values of our university where people come first and all are treated with dignity and respect," the university said the student has been placed on interim suspension. Criminal charges were pending before the local district attorney, and an internal student-conduct investigation was underway.

ETSU President Brian Noland held a press conference in the afternoon to speak out against what he saw Wednesday. And Noland did watch, almost in real time as it happened, via a video on a student's Facebook page.

"I was offended, but I was also saddened," Noland said about his personal response to Rettke's behavior. "The nation is not only raw, but it's healing."

Noland praised the Black Lives Matter demonstrators for their peaceful rally and handling of the disruption. He'd been in contact with many of those students through their academic careers at ETSU and was proud they reacted as such.

Read more here