The Department of Public Safety employee who was allegedly pushed by Athletic Director Bill Martin during a Michigan football game last month said he now regrets not pressing charges.
After Eastern Michigan University sophomore Arif Kahn denied Martin entry into the Regents Guest Area after the Delaware State game Oct. 17, Martin grabbed Kahn’s windbreaker and slightly pushed him, according to a police report. Martin apologized for the incident on Oct. 26 and Kahn did not press charges against him.
Kahn said that in Martin’s apology, the athletic director claimed he was running late for a meeting and that there is usually a police officer at the entrance who recognizes him. Martin also noted in his apology that the confusion was due to recent policy changes he was not made aware of, according to Kahn.
Kahn decided not to press charges because he wanted a “quick, easy resolution,” and he thought taking it to court would be “too big of a deal.” Kahn said all he wanted was an apology.
“(Martin) said, ‘I’m sorry, you were just doing your job,’ ” Kahn said.
Kahn initially took Martin’s apology to be sincere, but has since come out saying he no longer believes this to be true and regrets his decision to forgo pressing charges.
“If I had known that he wasn’t totally sincere at that time then I probably would’ve pressed charges,” Kahn said.
Kahn said that since accepting Martin’s apology, he has become aware of a similar incident between one of his coworkers and the athletic director.
Kahn referenced LSA sophomore Jackie Turner, who was stationed at the north stairwell of the Regents Guest Area during the Notre Dame game Sept. 12. According to a Nov. 9 article in The Michigan Daily, Turner told DPS that three males in University of Michigan polo shirts approached the entrance and attempted to pass her without presenting identification.
Turner told DPS that the man at the front of the group placed his hand on her shoulder and said “Honey, I’m the athletic director.” Martin then pushed Turner just enough to get by her.
Kahn said Martin’s claim that the encounters stemmed from his not being informed of policy changes at the stadium is a poor excuse. Kahn said that Martin had to have been aware of the policy changes after the first incident.
Kahn pointed out another of Martin’s inconsistencies. “In Bill Martin’s statement, he claims that I wasn’t wearing my DPS uniform, but in fact I was,” Kahn said.
“(Those two factors) lead me to believe that the apology was not sincere,” Kahn said. “And I regretted accepting the apology.”
— Daily News Editor Jillian Berman contributed to this report.