The University of Southern California is suing two YouTube pranksters after they disrupted a Jewish studies class, causing panic and chaos amongst the students. The prank is just one of many similar disruptions by the group which has led the university to take legal action.

The LA Times, which has obtained a copy of the lawsuit, reports that the university lists dangerous and reckless conduct aimed at the students and faculty as the main argument in the suit. YouTubers Earnest Kanevsky and Yuoguo Bai are the named defendants and are accused of taking over lectures and causing “terror and disruption” on campus grounds.

The most recent incident took place on March 29 in which the two YouTubers took over a Jewish studies lecture occurring in the university’s Mark Taper Hall. Kanevsky and Bai are accused of dressing up and pretending to be a “member of the Russian mafia” and fashion designer, Hugo Boss. Aside from his recognizable fashion brand, Boss was also a known member of the Nazi party. The sentiment of a Nazi supporter being the subject of a prank aimed at a Jewish studies class has caused many on campus grounds to question the intent of the pranksters as well.

Upon entering the classroom, the pranksters incited chaos and panic after acting out a prank in which Kanevsky, who was pretending to be a mafia member, began demanding money from Bai. Kanevsky was reportedly holding a silver briefcase and a phone and at one point, some students reported hearing expletives exchanged between Kanevsky and the individual on the other end of the line.

Following the incident, the Department of Public Safety Chief David Carlisle shared that the pranksters were apprehended and detained. Footage of the arrest was also documented on Kanevsky's YouTube channel as well.

The university claims that the latest incident is just one of a string of interruptions during class lectures at USC. Because of the nature of the latest incident and the class subject matter, students were alarmed enough to begin evacuating the classroom as the prank unfolded. The lawsuit details that some students were tripping over chairs and backpacks as they tried to escape the room. The university explains that the students attempted to flee from the lecture room due to “what reasonably appeared to them as a credible threat of imminent classroom violence. ”

The complaint goes on to highlight other instances that the YouTubers invited chaos on campus grounds. The complaint references a September incident in which the pranksters physically intimidated a professor into leaving the classroom, after which Kanevsky began hurling “insults and demeaning behavior” toward the students, leaving many to feel threatened.

Kanevsky is one of the many successful YouTubers who have created content focused on public pranks, many of which have been defined as being a nuisance to the public. As with many other public pranks on youtube, Kanevsky’s content creation of choice seems to be working for him. The YouTuber has over 100,000 subscribers to his channel and has racked up over 8.3 million views.

Kanevsky has since gone on different local and national media outlets defending his YouTube channel and the content he produces. In an interview with the New York Times, he contended that “the whole lawsuit and what everyone is reporting is very deceiving.”

In addition to a temporary restraining order, the suit is seeking a preliminary injunction that would keep the men from entering all campuses, medical centers, residence halls, and other properties belonging to the university throughout the county. USC is also seeking compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees, and other compensation.