Brooklyn College

Summary

On May 8, 2025, around 30 pro-Palestinian students set up tents on Brooklyn College’s East Quad to protest Israeli military actions in Gaza and to demand that the college divest from companies connected to those actions. Campus public safety officers and administrators told the demonstrators they were trespassing and in violation of CUNY rules and ordered the encampment removed. Faculty members joined students and linked arms to protect the tents. The NYPD Strategic Response Group was called to the campus, cleared the quad, and escorted protesters onto Bedford Avenue. One student was tased, another punched, and fourteen people were taken into custody, including seven formally arrested and seven issued summonses.

In the days following the protest, four independent journalists who had been blocked from covering the encampment sent notices of intent to file a claim against Brooklyn College and CUNY, asserting that the denial of access violated First Amendment protections for the press. College officials said access had been restricted due to safety concerns related to the encampment. Around May 19, 2025, a group of professors held a press conference outside CUNY’s central offices to criticize the college and chancellor for calling in police, noting that the demonstrators had complied with some administrative requests before law enforcement intervened.

In June 2025, four adjunct faculty members who had participated in the May 8 actions were not reappointed, and a student activist leader involved in organizing the encampment was suspended. Faculty and student groups, including the Professional Staff Congress‑CUNY (PSC‑CUNY) union, held rallies and issued statements condemning the terminations and suspensions as retaliation for political expression. On July 31, 2025, more than 100 faculty, staff, and students rallied at the West Quad gates to demand the reinstatement of the adjunct faculty members.

By January 26, 2026, three of the four terminated adjunct faculty members had been reinstated to eligibility for employment, with at least one returning to a teaching appointment for the spring semester. The PSC‑CUNY stated that reinstatement included the restoration of seniority and eligibility for future teaching assignments. The fourth faculty member had not been reinstated, and the union continued to press for their return. Legal challenges and internal grievance procedures remained ongoing, and the college stated that it was reviewing all disciplinary actions in accordance with CUNY policies.