Pomona College – Suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine

Summary

On October 14, 2024, Pomona College suspended the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and issued sanctions after the Judicial Board found the group guilty of one charge out of six counts related to demonstrations that occurred on October 7, 2024. The sustained charge involved conduct that caused or threatened damage to property or disruption to the college community. The Judicial Board imposed seven sanctions on SJP, including suspension of the group’s Instagram account until March 31, 2025, requirements for meetings with an advisor and a community apology plan, and restrictions on the group’s activities. Members were prohibited from organizing or participating in official operations during the period of sanctions.

Prior to the Board’s decision, over 400 students walked out on October 7, and more than 100 students marched into and occupied administrative buildings to call for divestment from companies linked to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The college stated that graffiti and damage to equipment had occurred during the sit-in and warned that anyone involved in the disruption would be subject to disciplinary action. The protests included chants, speeches, and displays of solidarity with Palestinians, with students emphasizing concerns about civilian casualties and describing their actions as “a stand against injustice and oppression.”

Earlier in August 2024, the U.S. Department of Education had opened an investigation into alleged anti-Palestinian discrimination at Pomona College, citing concerns that pro-Palestinian students were being targeted. The college sent a Statement of Alleged Policy Violation to SJP on October 21, 2024, outlining six charges arising from the October 7 demonstrations and additional possible violations of the student code of conduct. Following the October 14 sanctions, civil rights organizations including Palestine Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Asian Law Caucus argued that the disciplinary measures were unprecedented and effectively punished students for protesting. In mid-October and November 2024, these groups urged the college to rescind the punitive measures and protect students’ rights to free expression.

On October 17, 2025, Pomona College reaffirmed its commitment to disciplinary action against students involved in pro-Palestinian activism at an October 7 memorial event, citing violations of college policy. Suspended students and their allies continued to contest the sanctions, describing the measures as “unprecedented and punitive” and asserting that they targeted political expression itself. Students emphasized that the restrictions limited their ability to organize, advocate, and participate in campus activism, with one member stating, “We are not silenced. We will continue to stand together and speak out for justice,” and others noting that the sanctions had created “a chilling effect on all student activism and organizing related to Palestinian rights.”

Pomona’s 2025 reaffirmation occurred within a broader national context in which Students for Justice in Palestine chapters drew heightened scrutiny. Federal actions under the Trump administration had directed investigations into alleged anti-Semitism on college campuses and emphasized that universities receiving federal funding could face consequences for failing to address complaints of discrimination against Jewish students. Across the United States, chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine were suspended, investigated, or placed on interim restrictions for protests, demonstrations, encampments, or social-media activity that administrators said violated campus policies.