UMass Amherst faculty met Monday to show support for Jason Vassell. At least 126 faculty members signed a petition asking Chancellor Robert Holub for a symbolic reinstatement.

"On the face of it, since Jason is African American, they (the attackers) were white, the whole context of the charges are skewed and unfair," said Ann Ferguson, professor at Umass.

Senior faculty members at UMass Amherst met to show their support and that of more than a hundred other faculty members who signed a petition asking Jason Vassell to be reinstated in school.

"His forced with-drawl was seen as prejudicial and deprived him of the presumption of innocence," said Ekwueme Michael Thelwell, professor at UMass.

Last February, Vassell was racially harassed and accosted by two white men who broke into his dorm room. Now Vassell faces two felony counts of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon for wounding his attackers with a pocketknife. He could face 30 years in jail. Only one of his attackers has been charged with four misdemeanors. Supporters believe his charges are wildly exaggerated.

"We know that legally acts of self defense, when one is aggressively assaulted are not considered crimes and many people feel that is the situation. Therefore, he should not have been charged at all or charged a much lesser crime," said Ferguson.

The faculty members say he was the victim of a hate crime, yet is being treated like he is already guilty. He was forced to withdraw from the university.

"The administration should have given Jason the benefit of the doubt, presumed him innocent until he has his case in court," said Ferguson.