San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris has dropped criminal charges against Africana studies professor Antwi Akom, who was arrested Oct. 25 for battering a university police officer and resisting arrest.

The decision was announced on March 17, just days after the release of an SF State-commissioned investigative report, which concluded that no racial profiling occurred in the scuffle between Akom and campus police.

On March 20, many students were unaware that charges against Akom have been dropped, as the university did not issue a public statement.

Environmental studies major Indi Goodson, who just heard about Harris’s decision, said she was elated and that justice has been served.

“The dude’s a free man, celebration,” said Goodson, 20, who is also Akom's student.

Akom’s defense attorney, John Keker, said that he was happy with the district attorney’s decision and added that the university has a lot to learn in terms of dealing with the case.

“The criminal case is over and that’s what matters,” he said.

Africana Studies Chair Dorothy Tsuruta said that the College of Ethnic Studies faculty is relieved, based on the e-mails she received over the weekend.

“The DA’s statement of dropping the charges should be the final word,” said Tsuruta, adding that it should be a closure to the highly publicized incident.

District attorney Harris was unavailable for comment.

In an e-mail to faculty and staff, SF State President Robert Corrigan said Harris wanted the administration to handle the case.

“She believes that the interests of justice can be best served not in the criminal courts, but within the university community, relying upon our extensive procedures for responding to incidents involving faculty,” Corrigan said.

He also said that university administrators will determine whether disciplinary action, based on the Collective Bargaining Agreement, is warranted.

Akom could face dismissal, demotion, or suspension without pay, based on the California Faculty Association Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“That spells trouble,” said American Indian Studies Professor Joanne Barker.

She added that the College of Ethnic Studies will release a formal statement about the case and the independent commission’s report on Wednesday.

In addition to concluding that racial profiling did not occur, the commission also found Akom to be the aggressor. The commission was led by former City Attorney Louise Renne and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

The report, which was released March 13, suggested that the university communicate its after-hours policy - which includes a requirement that people show identification to the Department of Public Safety officers and private security guards on campus - with faculty, staff and students.

The report also recommended that SF State adopt a consistent procedure to investigate racial profiling allegations.

Corrigan said that he will discuss the commission’s recommendations at the Academic Senate meeting on March 28.