North Carolina State University suspends male physics professor who called women 'useless' during lecture and then claimed it was a joke

  • Dr E David Davis was suspended Wednesday over his comments during Tuesday lecture directed at female students 
  • Students reported hearing Davis say 'women are useless' after two female students failed to answers his questions about an assignment 
  • Davis also reportedly asked a student whether she was dropped on her head as as a baby and said he should call on a man 
  • When junior Maira Haque confronted Davis, he said 'women are obviously useful because we need them for a species to reproduce'

Dr E David Davis, a physics professor at NC State University, was suspended Wednesday over his comments during Tuesday's lecture directed at female students

Dr E David Davis, a physics professor at NC State University, was suspended Wednesday over his comments during Tuesday's lecture directed at female students

North Carolina State University has suspended a physics professor and launched an investigation into reports he called women 'useless' during a lecture.

NCSU spokeswoman Lauren Leslie Barker said the school is taking immediate action concerning the incident that took place on Tuesday.

Junior Maira Haque told WRAL that the professor at the center of the firestorm, Dr E David Davis, called on two female students and when they didn’t have answers to questions about an assignment, he was 'condescending' toward them and said 'women are useless.'

Haque said he also asked the first female student he called on whether she was dropped on her head as a child, and whether she suffered from problems with her memory. 

NCSU has launched an investigation after students in Davis' physics class complained

NCSU has launched an investigation after students in Davis' physics class complained 

A 10-second video recorded during Tuesday's lecture shows Davis telling students 'it's a joke'

A 10-second video recorded during Tuesday's lecture shows Davis telling students 'it's a joke'

According to Haque, when Davis called on the second student, she did not wait for him to berate her and told him, unprompted, that she, too, suffered from memory problems, which elicited laughter from her classmates. 

That is when, according to Haque, the professor blurted out: 'I guess the women in this class are useless. I guess I should call on a man.' 

Haque stood up in the crowded lecture hall and confronted the male educator about his remarks, which Davis quickly insisted were uttered in jest.  

Junior Maira Haque (pictured) confronted Davis about his comments, prompting him to say it was a joke

Junior Maira Haque (pictured) confronted Davis about his comments, prompting him to say it was a joke 

In a tweeted video, Davis can be heard saying 'It’s a joke!' The student who took the video labeled Davis a 'woman hater.' 

Haque, who studies human biology, said the professor added 'women are obviously useful because we need them for a species to reproduce.'

After learning of Davis' remarks, NCSU issued a statement on Wednesday saying the professor has been placed on leave effective immediately. 

'At NC State we take pride in our campus culture which values and strives to live our commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity,' the statement read in part. 

NCSU's student newspaper, Technician, reported that students in Davis' class later received a letter from Paul Huffman, head of the physics department, apologizing on the professor's behalf and saying that he will not be teaching the Physics 211 class.    

Dailymail.com on Thursday reached out to Dr Davis for comment and was awaiting a reply. 

The university told DailyMail.com in an email that Davis joined the faculty in July 2016 and that he is not a tenured professor.  

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