University of Georgia – Suspension of Students Affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine

Summary

On May 15, 2024, six Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) students at the University of Georgia set up a small protest encampment to express opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza, citing civilian casualties, destruction of homes, and humanitarian crises affecting Palestinians. University officials repeatedly warned the protesters that encampments were prohibited under longstanding campus policies and instructed them to remove tents or relocate; the students did not comply. Police and Georgia State troopers were called in to dismantle the site and arrest participants. A total of 16 people, including nine UGA students, were charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass after refusing to disperse following warnings from police and campus officials. The university then placed the six SJP students on suspension, barring them from campus and citing violations of conduct regulations including obstruction of university activities, failure to comply with university officials, and participating in a demonstration that disrupted normal operations. In response, a group of UGA faculty publicly called on university officials to lift the interim suspensions, arguing that barring the students from classes, residence halls, dining facilities, and other campus services was unwarranted and antithetical to the educational mission.

By August 8, 2024, the six SJP students had formally appealed the sanctions. A university panel of faculty and students conducted a 13-hour hearing and upheld the suspensions, concluding the disciplinary actions were appropriate under the student conduct code. University representatives stated that the sanctions were about “the manner in which the demonstration was conducted,” not the political message, emphasizing that the encampment and refusal to follow warnings violated campus policies and created safety concerns. The panel decided the students were to remain suspended through the fall semester and placed on probation for the remainder of their academic careers.

On September 10, 2024, the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and attorneys filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the University of Georgia under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complaint, brought on behalf of the six students and the Georgia SJP chapter, alleged that UGA’s enforcement of its policies constituted differential treatment of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and sought an investigation into the university’s actions. The complaint detailed how protesters were suspended without proper notice, barred from housing and campus participation, and disciplined more harshly than other students for conduct violations.

The six SJP students are currently suspended, with no reinstatement announced, and their academic and campus participation opportunities including housing, scholarships, and employment remain affected. The SJP student group itself was not formally suspended as a recognized student organization. The events at UGA occurred amid a wave of national scrutiny of pro-Palestinian student groups, with similar suspensions and disciplinary actions reported at other universities.