Judiciary panel maintains sanctions through semester after hearing
The suspension of six students involved in a protest over the Israel-Hamas conflict has been upheld by the University of Georgia’s Office of Student Conduct.
The university made the announcement Tuesday following an almost 13-hour hearing last week, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
During the hearing, the six students continued to express criticism of Israel. After clarifying that their role was not to judge political views, the three-member panel “argued that the encampment endangered police officers and students, and disrupted campus operations,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“This demonstration was in clear violation of the university’s freedom of expression policies,” student panelist Mehar Nemani said.
The panel decided to uphold the suspensions through the semester and keep the students on probation for the remainder of their time at UGA. However, this decision can still be appealed to UGA’s Vice President for Student Affairs, Athens Banner-Herald reported.
University spokesperson Greg Trevor released a statement in response to the decision, saying: “The University will continue to enforce our policies to protect the free expression rights of all members of our community while recognizing that such activities must comply with applicable laws and policies.”
On April 29, members of the organization “Students for Justice in Palestine” set up a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and protested until Athens-Clarke County authorities intervened, Atlanta News First reported. Police arrested the students who continued to protest after they were told to disperse.
The student group informed Atlanta News First that they were demanding that the university dissolve any financial ties it has with organizations they describe as Zionist.
The university released a statement in response to the incident. “Let us make it abundantly clear that while the University of Georgia staunchly supports freedom of expression, we will not cede control of our campus to groups that refuse to abide by university policy and threaten the safety of those who live, work and study here,” the university stated, according to Atlanta News First. “The University of Georgia remains an institution where ideas, viewpoints and scholarship can be openly expressed and debated.”
This is one of numerous Israel-Hamas war protests that occurred on campuses throughout the country earlier this year. Universities have faced substantial cleanup costs from protests, with expenses reaching into the millions. The protests have led to arrests, class disruptions, and heightened security concerns, as previously reported by The College Fix.
MORE: Disruptive anti-Israel walkout protests hit Yale, GWU graduation ceremonies
IMAGE: Atlanta News First
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