In the weeks after dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on campus, many students received letters initiating disciplinary proceedings, according to four students interviewed by the American-Statesman.
Students who were arrested during the April protest and received disciplinary letters also stated that they were unable to access their transcripts or registration due to a non-financial hold on their accounts by the Dean of Students’ Office. They first noticed the blockage a few weeks ago.
Disciplinary proceedings concern breaking the rules during protests.
“The university has made clear that we enforce university policies, and the conduct notices sent to students who violated our policies during the protests on April 24 and 29 reflect that commitment,” the university said in a statement sent after publication. “The actions and stated intentions of those participating in these protests stand in stark contrast to no less than 13 previous free speech events that have occurred on our campus since October, which occurred largely without incident. The University of Texas will continue to support the constitutional free speech rights of all people on our campus and will enforce our policies while ensuring due process and holding students accountable.”
Not all students involved in protests that called for a ceasefire in Gaza and demanded that UT divest from arms manufacturers supplying weapons to Israel received the letter on Friday. The university did not confirm to the Statesman how many students were issued letters.
The university said a total of 60 students were arrested during the April 24 and 29 protests.
Stanley Davis, a UT senior arrested on April 24, said he received an 11-page letter from the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity around 4 p.m. Friday detailing disciplinary procedures.
“It’s clear that whatever they’re doing right now is a scare tactic,” Davis said. “We will still get up.”
The letter alleged that the student “was involved in an incident that disrupted/disrupted operations.” The violations listed included failure to follow rules and disorderly conduct, and the student is instructed to submit a written statement “addressing the allegations” and attached questions about his conduct by June 18.
Davis said he was able to register for classes before a hold was placed on his account, but he still hasn’t received his transcript.
Another UT student who was arrested April 24 and spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation said he also received a disciplinary letter and is unable to register for classes.
“We are largely in limbo,” the student said, adding that students are angry but rely on each other for support.
Why are the holds placed?
UT’s policy states that the dean of students may withhold the issuance of grades, transcripts or degrees pending a hearing or administrative decision when the rule violated “would reasonably permit the imposition of such a sanction” and when it is in the “best interest” of the university and the university system.
Aryel Mejia, who graduated from UT in the spring, blocked her account on May 20, preventing her from accessing her diploma and transcripts, she told the Statesman.
“I went to the office, called, left my name and number, and sent an email asking for an explanation as to why the dean of students held off with zero response,” Mejia said, adding that she was surprised when she received the letter.
A university spokesman said the holds were to “ensure compliance with the process.” Their use varies on a case-by-case basis and is determined by the Dean of Students’ Office.
“It is common practice to use hugs with seniors or college graduates as the primary mechanism for ensuring engagement in the process,” the spokesman said.
What else was included in the UT disciplinary letter?
Evidence included in the letters to the students included arrest statements, a screenshot of an Instagram post about their protest, and photos from the protest. All trespassing charges filed on April 24 were dropped, but charges handed down to those arrested on April 29 are still pending.
The 12 questions in the letter ask students why they didn’t disperse and whether it was “right” for them to create encampments, violate university policy and exclude students; although students deny that anyone was excluded. They were also asked if students would do anything differently, if they agreed it was disruptive, and what they would say to someone who was “affected by your behavior.”
Mejia stated that the questions “seem like they are intended to force a confession.” In accordance with university policy, after a university investigation, you will receive a letter of finding or administrative order, which may be followed by a hearing.
In some cases, the letters also included a follow-up report detailing the circumstances of the student’s arrest. Davis said his records show he was issued a warrant for resisting arrest by UT police after officers reviewed body camera footage, although his initial charge was dropped. University of California police did not respond Monday to the Statesman’s question about whether they had issued arrest warrants for other protesters.
Why did UW students protest?
UT students and community members have joined protests across the country, calling on their universities to divest from weapons manufacturers contributing to the Israeli bombing of Gaza. Israel declared war after Hamas, the militant ruling body of Gaza, attacked the Jewish state on October 7, killing 1,200 civilians and taking about 200 people hostage. More than 34,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the Israeli attack on Gaza.
Other universities across the country have threatened students with expulsion or suspension for activities they consider extreme. Gov. Greg Abbott’s March executive order calling on higher education institutions to curb anti-Semitism on campuses ordered administrators to change and enforce their free speech policies to align with an expanded definition of anti-Semitism.
The order instructed universities to enforce policies against students up to expulsion, and specifically named the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine.
“I hope people understand or are open to the fact that we are just a group of people who care about this issue,” said Ari, a student arrested during the April 29 protest who received the letter. “It’s for Palestine; this is for Gaza.”
UT System and Abbott stated that divestment of the company is not being considered in the case of UT. The students said their activities would continue regardless.
Mejia said she was arrested on April 24 by three officers who “grabbed me to the point that bruises were left on my arms.”
“I stood on the south lawn, zipped up, and cried, humiliated by my own university,” Mejia said. “Still, I finished my classes, passed the final exams and shook hands with the dean. I earned my diploma rightfully and I share it with the people of Gaza, where there are no universities.”