Former UCF Professor Barred From Jackson Heights

Shuo “Sean” Pang, a former University of Central Florida professor, entered a first-offender diversion program last month to resolve misdemeanor charges stemming from a confrontation with an Oviedo middle-school student riding an e-bike, according to court records and local reports. The case grew out of an Oct. 14, 2025 incident at Jackson Heights Middle School in Oviedo, where police said Pang followed the student onto campus and struck the student’s helmet during an argument. Pang was charged with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor trespassing on school grounds, according to reports citing the arrest affidavit. UCF’s optics and photonics college says Pang has not been employed there since Nov. 10, 2025. ### Who is the former professor at the center of the case? Shuo “Sean” Pang was an associate professor in UCF’s College of Optics and Photonics, according to UCF’s CREOL faculty page. That page now says Pang is no longer employed at UCF or CREOL as of Nov. 10, 2025. Orlando-area reports identified Pang as 41 at the time of his October 2025 arrest and 42 in May 2026 court coverage, reflecting the passage of time between the incident and the diversion agreement. (clickorlando.com) Local reports said he had initially pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial through a lawyer before enrolling in diversion. (creol.ucf.edu) ### What did police say happened at Jackson Heights Middle School? Oviedo police said the confrontation began near the Oviedo Aquatic Center on the morning of Oct. 14, 2025, when Pang called out to a student riding an e-bike to slow down. According to the arrest affidavit described by ClickOrlando and WFTV, the student did not comply, and Pang followed him to Jackson Heights Middle School. (clickorlando.com) The arrest affidavit said Pang grabbed the student’s arm, then struck him and knocked his helmet off after the student told him to let go. WFTV reported that a friend stepped in, and police said Pang then pushed that student as school staff intervened. Some coverage described the case as involving two misdemeanor battery counts and school trespassing, while later court coverage described the case as misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor trespassing on school grounds. (clickorlando.com) ### What did the diversion agreement require? Court records cited by the Orlando Sentinel said Pang signed a diversion agreement in April 2026. Under that agreement, he must complete a 12-hour anger-management class, perform 20 hours of community service and pay a $450 supervising fee. The same agreement bars Pang from contacting the youth involved in the incident and others who intervened, according to the report. (clickorlando.com) It also bars him from the Jackson Heights Middle School campus. ### Does the agreement end the criminal case? The diversion agreement does not immediately erase the charges. Orlando Sentinel reporting said the charges will be dismissed if Pang successfully completes the program’s requirements. (evshift.com) Seminole County public-records pages show that criminal case information is maintained through the clerk of court, which is where case status and filings can be tracked. (evshift.com) The publicly available clerk resources do not, by themselves, summarize Pang’s case, but they identify the county system where the record would be updated as the diversion proceeds. ### What did UCF do after the arrest? (evshift.com) UCF placed Pang on paid administrative leave after the October 2025 arrest, according to local television reports published at the time. By May 2026, a university spokesperson told the Orlando Sentinel that Pang’s employment had ended on Nov. 10, 2025. (seminoleclerk.org) The university’s current faculty page reflects that change. Pang’s former CREOL profile now carries a notice stating that he is no longer employed there and directs inquiries to another faculty member. ### What happens next in the case? April 2026 is the key next-step marker in the public record because that is when Pang enrolled in the first-offender program described in court coverage. (wftv.com) If he completes the anger-management class, community service and fee requirements, the misdemeanor case is expected to be dismissed; if he does not, the prosecution can continue under the original charges, according to the reported terms of the agreement. (creol.ucf.edu) (evshift.com)