Those who know Adam Banks, an assistant professor in the Writing Program Syracuse University, shared sentiments of shock and disbelief at Syracuse Police charging him with sexual misconduct.

Banks was dealt the charge of sexual misconduct on Nov. 8 and will be arraigned in Syracuse City Court today at 9:30 a.m.

Mahdia Myer, a senior information studies major, is a student in Banks’ sermons, stand-ups and spoken words class.

‘I’m in one of his classes, and he has never acted like that towards anyone,’ she said in response to the charge against Banks.

Banks, who also teaches critical race theory in the English and textual studies department, graduated from Cleveland State University with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1992, and from Pennsylvania State University in 2001 with a master’s degree in English and in 2003 with a doctoral degree in the same subject.

Dr. Keith Gilyard, a professor in the department of English at Pennsylvania State University and the director of Banks’ dissertation committee on ‘Transformative Access: an African-American rhetoric of technology’ said he worked with Banks for about three years and considered him a ‘nice guy.’

‘I know him as a wonderful young man,’ he said. ‘This is a bit shocking.’

Gilyard, who also was the director of the Writing Program at SU from 1993 to 1999, said the news of the charge against Banks is hard for him to process.

‘I can’t see this at all in him,’ he said. ‘He was a brilliant student.’

Tamika Carey, a graduate student in the Writing Program, said she is new to the program, but is planning to take one of Banks’ courses next semester.

‘This is a surprise to me,’ she said of the charge against Banks.

She said from her limited experience with him she felt he was very professional in his dealings with students.

‘He is a good mentor to incoming students,’ Carey said.

Banks has shout-outs to all of the students beginning their graduate work with the Writing Program on his personal Web site.

‘That is his way of welcoming us to Syracuse,’ Carey said.

Carey also mentioned Banks does a lot of work in the Syracuse community.

Banks teaches a free course on black oral traditions called ‘Spoken Soul’ at The Groove, a restaurant and bar on the 4000 block of South Salina Street on Tuesday nights. He was in attendance for the class Tuesday night.

Banks also recently published a book titled ‘Race, Rhetoric and Technology: Searching for Higher Ground.’

Joan Gabel, an executive board member of Students Advancing Sexual Safety and Empowerment said she was not surprised by the charges because she said sexual predators are ‘everywhere.’

‘There is no place that is safe,’ she said. ‘I am absolutely outraged. There is just no excuse for victimizing people sexually.’

Published on November 28, 2005 at 12:00 pm