University officials banned a UTD student accused of a stabbing from campus while she awaits trial.
Business administration junior Nika Nikoubin – also known as Nika Borouj or Boroujeni – is accused of stabbing a man in a hotel near Las Vegas in March 2022. In a bodycam video shared by 8 News Now, Nikoubin said upon arrest that her motive was to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian leader killed by a US drone strike in 2020. Nevada police said the man survived. Nikoubin, who was arrested and pleaded not guilty, has been on house arrest since summer 2022 and is expected to go on trial against charges of attempted murder and felony battery with a weapon in Nevada in July 2023.
Nikoubin started attending UTD in spring 2023 after transferring from UCLA. A staff member reported Nikoubin to campus security after a student discovered her history through an online search in February. In a status hearing on Feb. 13, UTD PD detective Rob Bishop said UTD PD and other law enforcement agencies in Dallas and Denton County were not aware of Nikoubin’s pending criminal case.
“We also – and I assume along with the media – found records from the justice court that stated on March 9, 2022 that the court found her a danger to the community,” Bishop said. “So, that has sparked immediate concerns for the safety of the campus along with the community.”
In another status hearing on Feb. 15, Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny clarified Nikoubin’s terms of supervision. She is on high-level electronic monitoring and must adhere to a 6 p.m. curfew, only leaving for work, school, counseling and medical services as needed. Kierny restricted Nikoubin — an aspiring singer — from booking performance venues away from her place of residence unless she seeks prior court approval.
Kierny does not have the authority to bar her from coming to UTD, but the university has reached an agreement with Nikoubin to restrict her from coming to campus until her case is resolved. The university is allowing Nikoubin to complete her classes online from home.
UTD released an official statement on the situation:
“University officials recently became aware that she was charged with a crime and is under the jurisdiction of a Nevada court. Because the safety of our campus and our community is of utmost importance, we have removed her from campus. The UT Dallas police will monitor the student’s compliance with the removal order.”
Nikoubin is currently living in Frisco with her parents, which includes UTD engineering professor Tooraj Nikoubin. Nikoubin’s defense attorney Alanna Bondy said that while on campus, Nikoubin would stay at her father’s office on Tuesdays and Thursdays before returning home.
Nikoubin’s next court date is scheduled for March 29.