Hannibal Buress’ mic was cut off mid-performance after he told a joke about child molestation during his routine at Loyola University on Saturday night, according to The Loyola Phoenix.

Those in attendance said the comedian started his set with a picture of an email he received from the Catholic-run university describing topics that were off-limits including rape, sexual assault, sexual orientation and race.

Source: The Loyola Phoenix

Allegedly, the email reveal was then followed by a joke about Catholic priests and child molestation. The comedian reportedly said, "Y'all f*ck kids, right?" 

Soon after, the mic stopped working. The crowd began to boo but quieted down so Buress could attempt to perform without a microphone. According to witnesses, the volume of the background music was increased causing Burress to leave the stage. The comedian was gone for 15 minutes before he returned to a standing ovation to finish his set. He reportedly made multiple jokes about his mic being cut. 

According to one student, campus police were stationed at the front of the stage during the break.

“I literally thought like I was about to witness a riot and I was ready to participate,” Ally Boly, 20, said. “Also it’s wild that Loyola preaches about speaking up and speaking out but they’re gonna censor someone doing just that, like that’s wild. Also I’m really impressed with all the Loyola kids that stood their ground and refused to leave without an explanation.”

Another student told the newspaper she thinks it was a big misunderstanding.

“I guess I can understand where Loyola — or whoever was controlling the mics — is coming from, because Hannibal did outright say he was going to violate the contract restrictions,” Rachel Martin, 20, said. “[Loyola] said he couldn’t talk about race in his show, which seems highly restrictive, especially for a man who is known to incorporate his black identity into his performances. So, although I can see where Loyola is coming from, I think the situation could’ve been handled a lot better.”

The students' classmates also took to social media to make themselves heard, and to do a little dragging:

The university hasn't responded to the controversy.

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