A Roland man has made an agreement with a judge to plead guilty to simple assault charges related to a dispute on campus this summer.

David Tett, 48, pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting an individual in a vehicle on Morrill Road near Beardshear Hall in July, according to court documents filed Oct. 17.

According to court documents, the incident began when a vehicle, driven by an international student from Nigeria, nearly struck Tett, who was walking. The records said Tett then sprayed water on the passenger with a water bottle, prompting the driver to stop and get out of the vehicle. The male followed Tett into Curtiss Hall.

ISU Police said Tett displayed a small pocketknife attached to his key chain with the blade extended while both men were in Curtiss Hall.

According to court records, Tett made racially motivated slurs toward the driver. Initially, the charges against Tett were enhanced by hate crime statutes.

According to the affidavit, “The unjustified spraying of water, coupled with an offensive, racially motivated comment, constitutes assault and is enhanced by hate crime statutes.”

Mark Greiner, Tett’s attorney, said Tett’s charges related to a hate crime were dropped. “Mr. Tett is not a racist,” Greiner said.

In July, ISU President Geoffroy released a statement stating the incident was racially motivated and said this type of behavior “will not be tolerated on the Iowa State campus.”

“The charges filed against the suspect reflect the seriousness of such incidents,” Geoffroy said in the statement.

Greiner said the incident reported by the media and ISU President Gregory Geoffroy’s office had “complete and utter distortion.” Greiner said a knife was not presented in a threatening manner.

“There was no testimony that his knife was extended,” he said.

Jerry Stewart, director of the Department of Public Safety, said the report filed by ISU Police was an accurate representation of what occurred.

“This department is firmly committed to safeguard the state and federal rights of all individuals,” Stewart said. “Any acts of threats or violence upon any individuals will be thoroughly investigated.”

Story County Attorney Cindy McIntosh and Greiner agreed on a plea for a lesser charge.

— Daily staff reports contributed to this article.