Chinese university sacks unruly professor who tried to get seat upgrade on United Airlines plane

University professor Lu Yong has been removed from his position after creating trouble on a United Airlines flight. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM YOUTUBE

He was dragged off the plane kicking and screaming after getting drunk and attempting to force his way into the first-class cabin.

For his embarrassing antics, the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, Sichuan province, has terminated its relationship with Mr Lu Yong.

In a statement posted on its official Weibo account on Tuesday (Dec 8), the university confirmed that Mr Lu had been teaching there as a guest professor since August. He was also the director of its Internet Finance Research Centre.

The university said that it "values the virtues and ethical conduct" of its teachers and does not tolerate unlawful behaviour.

"It is our belief that professors should be morally respectable so as to teach their students," it added.

Mr Lu is also said to be an associate professor of information sciences and technology at the Pennsylvania State University, according to his online resume. He graduated from Southwest in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in economics.

In a video posted online on Dec 6, police officers can be seen attempting to evict Mr Lu from the New York-bound United Airlines plane just prior to its take-off from Shanghai's Pudong International Airport.

The police were called in after Mr Lu allegedly got drunk on champagne and ran around the plane before trying to wrangle a seat upgrade. Failing to get what he had asked for, he threw a tantrum.

China Daily reported that three police officers were assaulted by Mr Lu - one suffered bruises on his chest after being pushed and kick, while the other two were bitten.

Mr Lu was subsequently arrested and is still in custody.

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