Additional Information
-
Incident Nature:
Rally or protest
-
Incident Political Orientation:
Left wing -
Incident Responses:
University investigation issuing in sanctions
Student sanctioned
Rally or Protests
University administration invoked formal speech code in response
Campus police
Other Law Enforcement
State Campus Free Speech Act
Title IX or other federal statute
-
Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
On February 25, 2026, Swarthmore College charged eight students under its Student Code of Conduct for distributing protest literature the administration described as violent and intimidating. The pieces included imagery such as a firearm scope’s crosshairs placed over a collage of photos of members of the college’s board of managers and text that criticized those members for investments that “directly contradict” the college’s stated values and urged readers to “put [their] bodies on the line.” Letters from the associate dean and director of student conduct alleged violations including bullying and intimidation, endangerment or infliction of physical harm, and unauthorized use of college printing resources, and stated that students found responsible could face sanctions up to expulsion. Students were informed that an independent panel of peers, faculty and staff would review and decide their cases.
These disciplinary actions followed protests in spring 2025. Beginning on April 30, 2025, members of the Swarthmore College chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which had been suspended in March 2025, and their supporters established a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus to press the college to divest from companies tied to Israel and adopt other commitments. Protesters set up tents, signage, and barricades and refused repeated warnings from college officials to disperse. Staff issued written and verbal notices citing violations of the institution’s Code of Conduct and warned participants that failure to leave could lead to interim suspensions.
Local law enforcement issued trespassing notices on May 1, 2025, and on the morning of May 3, 2025, at about 8 a.m., officers entered the encampment after giving protesters a short window to clear the area. Nine individuals including one current student, one former student, and seven unaffiliated activists were arrested on misdemeanor trespassing charges and the encampment was dismantled. The college’s president condemned graffiti found on campus and noted prior warnings to vacate the site.
Earlier in the spring of 2025, Swarthmore had sanctioned 14 students for conduct code violations connected to earlier pro-Palestinian protest activity dating back to late 2023 through early 2024, including probation and one suspension.
