Student Suspended, 15 Other Sanctioned for December ’23 Demonstration

Swarthmore College has suspended a student for their involvement in pro-Palestine protests during the 2023-24 academic year. The student is one of 24 charged with violations of the Code of Conduct who were sent letters informing them of their verdicts and sanctions right before the college’s Spring Break began. 

Vice President of Marketing and Communications Andy Hirsch said that most of the Code of Conduct violations that occurred between October 2023 and March 2024 were minor misconduct proceedings. The minor verdicts resulted in five probations, three reprimands, six warnings, and seven findings of “not responsible.” He noted that several students were involved in more than one incident, and some incidents resulted in more than one alleged conduct violation, accounting for a discrepancy between the total number of cases and findings. 

Some of the charges fell under major misconduct and therefore were areas heard by the College Judiciary Committee (CJC), which comprised two faculty members, two students, and one staff member. Seven major misconduct cases resulted in probation, one reprimand, and one suspension.

Hirsch said none of the charges leading to these findings were for “peaceful protests.” Instead, he wrote in an email to The Phoenix, they pertained to specific actions and behaviors that violated the student code of conduct during the protests.

The suspended student, who wishes to remain anonymous, was found responsible by the CJC for violating the College’s Code of Conduct sections relating to Assault, Endangerment, or Infliction of Physical Harm; Intimidation; Disorderly Conduct; Failure to Comply; and Academic Freedom and Responsibility. 

While there is a possibility for the student to appeal the decision next week, barring any change, the suspension would be in place for the remainder of the spring semester. The student, who would otherwise be a graduating senior, will have to apply to enroll for another semester at Swarthmore in order to secure enough academic credits to graduate. If the student decides to apply for readmission for the fall ’25 semester, they will be placed on another semester of probation that subjects them to harsher sanctions if they are ever found to have violated the Code of Conduct again. 

The student is First Generation or Low Income (FLI), and reportedly told the college that they would “be homeless if suspended.”

Another student who was placed under academic probation and wishes to remain anonymous expressed concern for other students on probation who may lose their on-campus student employment: “Swarthmore has shown that it does not care how vulnerable its students are, and that they are willing to threaten the livelihood of it’s students if they participate in anti-genocide and Palestine activism.”

The suspension is for charges related to a demonstration that members of Swarthmore’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held in December 2023. The protest interrupted a dinner for the Board of Managers held inside the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility’s Keith Room with a bullhorn and chanting. The finding claimed the student’s indoor use of the bullhorn constituted assault and “caused damage.” Furthermore, the committee found that the student’s chanting was a violation of the Code’s “intimidation” section, and their intention of interrupting the meeting a violation of the “Academic Freedom and Responsibility” section.

Suspension from the college bars students from accessing the academic, residential, or physical parts of Swarthmore. The student will not be allowed to access campus, their dorm or dining plan, or any college events or classes, including the Commencement ceremony for what would have been their graduating class.

Outrage followed after news of the suspension spread among students and in the broader Swarthmore community. Many students posted a statement on their social media accounts calling the suspension “the first of its kind nationally,” referring to the controversial use of assault and endangerment charges for the indoor use of a bullhorn. After mentioning the student’s FLI status, the statement continued, saying, “As a student community, we must pushback against this and demand that the school reduce the sanction against the student and LET THEM GRADUATE.”

Following the social media messages, a petition called on Swarthmore to reverse the suspension. At the time of publication, the petition had received over 2,700 signatures. 

A press release with similar language connected the suspension to the federal government’s increasing pressure on colleges and universities to suppress anti-Israel speech. “These sanctions were issued just days after President Donald Trump tweeted: ‘All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/sent back to the country from which they came. American Students will permanently be expelled. NO MASKS. Thank you for your attention.’”

The press release also claimed that the charge of assault for using a megaphone “has no basis in either Pennsylvania state law or Swarthmore College’s Code of Conduct.”

Another student who wishes to remain anonymous and received academic probation for participating in the December 2023 protest stated, “They are inventing a new category for the use of a megaphone indoors, which has been done in many protests before.” The student is an international student and is concerned about how the charges may affect their record, particularly        regarding work authorization in the U.S. and the potential threat of deportation. They expressed their intention to appeal the case, noting that “there was no democratic process,” referring to the protocol for minor misconduct cases. Unlike major misconduct, which involves the CJC, minor misconduct is managed by Student Affairs and is typically handled by the Associate Dean and Director of Student Conduct. In this case, it was handled by an external firm, Grand River Solution. 

“That power has been centralized as a means to repress student protest and political activism into the hands of administrators – we as students have to take that back,” the student said.

One of the charged students described the disciplinary process as demanding, stating that from November 2024 to February 2025, they attended dozens of disciplinary hearings related to pro-Palestine activism. Each hearing often lasted several hours a day, and some weeks, they had as many as five hearings.

Another student who has been placed on academic probation for the same protest explained the impact of the disciplinary charges, saying that as a result of constant multiple-hour hearings, her well-being and academic performance have suffered. “I reached record lows of mental health, and had to reach out to CAPS to schedule my first therapy appointment,” the student shared.

The students say they will appeal the decision, although they doubt the sanction will be lowered because their case will be solely handled by Vice President of Student Affairs Stephanie Ives. Ives has frequently been the target of criticism from protesters and their sympathizers on campus, particularly for her defense of the school’s recent alterations to the code of conduct. 

A petition that was circulated among Swarthmore’s faculty and staff in support of the suspended student quoted an American Association of University Professors statement that cautioned universities against anticipatory obedience to government pressure. “At this historic moment, the College must decide whether it will facilitate the Trump administration’s repression or whether it will stand by its students and their right to political protest.”

“Those actions infringed on the ability of other students, faculty, and staff members to fully engage in the life of campus; disrupted the essential operations of the college; and/or caused harm – including physical harm – to other members of the community,” he explained. Hirsch said that there was physical harm that required medical attention during the Dec. 2023 protest. 

He noted that alleged violations occurring after March 2024, such as the actions during the recent sit-in at Parrish Hall, could result in additional charges against student protestors. 

Both students called attention to the bullhorn charge and the “dangerous precedent” the suspension would set if it were not overturned. 

“Swarthmore College, by suspending a student for using a bullhorn during a protest, something that has been common practice at on-campus protests throughout Swarthmore’s history, is falling in line with the demands of the federal government to crackdown on Palestine activism,” one student said.