Abridged version of an April 30 open letter signed by 52 faculty and staff:

Dear President Hurd,

On Thursday, April 25, 2024, several students received an email from Jennifer Dize (Interim Dean of Students) warning them that they may face charges through the Student Conduct system in response to a protest (attended by faculty, staff and students) that took place on Friday, April 19 on the Quad, in Farinon and in Markle, against the ongoing genocide in Palestine. It is deeply distressing and disturbing that Lafayette’s administration chose to intimidate a portion of the students present, for their activism and for exercising their rights to free speech, free assembly and freedom of expression. To consider the college’s newly-adopted Mission and Values Statement within the context of the current situation is to confront the stark contrast between our institution’s aspirations and the administration’s recent practices: “We are thoughtful members of the global community, educating our students to be compassionate, ethical leaders who constructively participate in society — from Easton and the Lehigh Valley, to the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world.”

If these words are to be more than marketing-speak on a college website, then the administration needs to embrace them. Students must be allowed to protest the ongoing oppression and violence in Palestine without fear of reprisal by the administration. Freedom of speech and expression are not privileges, but are the very scaffolding of academic institutions.

At the center of the tensions currently roiling college campuses across the United States is a serious threat to freedom of speech. And the chief menace to campus communities is, unambiguously, coming from administrations. While university presidents are calling in snipers, counter-insurgency troops and police in riot gear to suppress student activists and faculty allies around the country, we, the under-signed faculty and staff, support and applaud the Lafayette students who have chosen to animate our campus with their voices. As they continue to protest the ecocide, genocide and scholasticide in Palestine, we submit that they are collectively demonstrating one important manifestation of a responsible citizenry—to speak out against what they perceive as injustice, and challenge their institution to do all it can to ensure our community respects and enables all voices equally.

You must agree that our students have a right to enact their citizenry as outlined in our mission statement, and that they should be supported and protected.

To that end, we request that the administration:

a) publicly apologize to those students who received an email from Jenn Dize;

b) publicly explain how students were identified and how you will ensure they are not targeted based on past altercations, race/other protected groups, etc.;

c) permanently drop proceedings or reprisals in the form of expulsion or disciplinary measures, in any form;

d) publicly commit to not calling on Public Safety or the Easton Police when students, faculty or staff are peacefully protesting;

e) allow the “disruptive behavior” section of the Student Code of Conduct to be immediately reconsidered and discussed among students, faculty, staff and administration;

f) refrain from engaging in censure or reprisal of student protests and activism;

g) publicly commit to disclosure and engaging in conversation about divestment from any organization or company that is financially backing Israeli ecocide, genocide and scholasticide.

Thank you for addressing these concerns in a timely fashion.

Nandini Sikand, Rachel Goshgarian, Jeremy Zallen, Mónica Salas Landa and Hafsa Kanjwal are among 52 faculty and staff concerned by the Lafayette College administration’s response to a pro-Palestine protest.