Updated: Aug. 21, 2024, at 4:59 p.m.
The Student Coalition for Palestine at GWU alleged Monday that officials suspended two pro-Palestinian student organizations and placed an additional six organizations on disciplinary probation for their reported involvement in campus protests last spring.
In an Instagram post Monday, the coalition claimed that officials suspended the GW chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace through the fall semester and placed the two organizations — in addition to six others — on disciplinary probation through either the fall or spring semesters. The announcement follows the coalition’s claim in June that Conflict Education and Student Accountability officials charged 10 student organizations for Code of Student Conduct violations related to the pro-Palestinian encampments in University Yard and on F Street, and an April protest at the Elliott School of International Affairs.
The post states that officials placed the Arab Student Association, Muslim Students Association and the Asian American Student Association on disciplinary probation through the end of the fall semester and GW Dissenters, Socialist Action Initiative and Black Defiance on disciplinary probation through the spring semester. The post states that that these alleged sanctions prevent the student groups from accessing University-allocated funds and require that the organizations receive approval from officials before hosting events.
“These sanctions destroy our community spaces,” the coalition’s post reads.
Officials charge student organizations that are “not in good judicial standing” with the University with disciplinary probation sanctions, which may include “exclusion from co-curricular activities,” according to the Division for Student Affairs’ Student Organizations with Conduct Violations sheet. Suspended student organizations lose access to University “privileges,” cannot affiliate with GW and could permanently lose their student organization status if they violate additional University policies, according to the sheet.
The coalition post alleges that for the fall semester, GW SJP and JVP will lose their recognition as student organizations, all University-allocated funds and the right to host events on campus or affiliate with GW.
A University spokesperson said GW discloses student organizations’ conduct violations when disciplinary proceedings, including time for an appeals process, are completed. DSA has not yet published sanctions for any alleged violations that took place this spring.
Officials charged Black Defiance, GW Dissenters, JVP and SAI with prior conduct violations that expire in spring 2026 for incidents that officials investigated in 2023 on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, according to the DSA sheet. Officials charged Black Defiance, GW Dissenters and SAI with organizational censure — an official written warning that outlines their community disturbance and disorderly conduct violations — and “restorative justice action” through spring 2026, and JVP with disciplinary probation through May 2024 and restorative justice action through spring 2026.
The coalition held an impromptu rally outside University President Ellen Granberg’s F Street House on Dec. 1 and students demonstrated in Kogan Plaza and marched to the F Street House on Dec. 8.
Officials suspended SJP for 90 days in November after the four members of the group projected phrases like “GW the blood of Palestine is on your hands” and “Divestment from Zionist genocide now” onto Gelman Library on Oct. 24, and for the F Street protest on Dec. 8. The sheet states SJP violated a posting policy and refused to comply with “reasonable directives” from an official in October and contributed to an event that disrupted “University activities” in December.
A University spokesperson declined to confirm each of the student organizations’ alleged sanctions. The spokesperson also declined to comment on what University policies officials charged each organization with violating, when they issued the sanctions and whether new sanctions will extend the expiration date for any student organizations’ current sanctions.
“As is appropriate for institutions of higher education, GW also has an obligation to address violations of University policy, and does so without regard to the content of the message those demonstrating seek to advance,” the spokesperson said.
A representative from MSA and the coalition, who requested anonymity due to fear of doxxing, said each of the eight student organizations facing sanctions have appealed the outcome of their case. After officials issue decisions for student conduct cases, students can submit their case to the appeals panel for final review, according to the student conduct process outline.
The representative said the student organizations received their disciplinary outcomes on Aug. 6. The representative said officials charged organizations for cosponsoring the April Elliott School protest against the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the encampment in U-Yard and the encampment on F Street.
The coalition listed about 18 student organizations as cosponsors for the Elliott School protest in an Instagram post advertising the demonstration, including MSA, JVP and Black Defiance.
“It started at the flag drop action,” the MSA representative said. “They saw our logo on the flyer. They didn’t consider whether or not we as organizations had any knowledge of whether the flag drop was going to happen or not, and then from that point going forward, the SRR office saw us all as a unit.”
The representative said while MSA is suspended through the fall semester, they will need to rely on fundraising because they can’t access funds allocated to their student organization by the University.
“It’s difficult for the organizations, but it’s also difficult for the general body members of these organizations who rely on the Arab Students Association and SJP for spaces where they can be in community with people like them,” the representative said.
The representative said despite funding constraints and the requirement that organizations on disciplinary probation ask officials for permission before hosting events, MSA plans to continue offering resources and programming to members.
“We’re gonna continue providing these essential resources for the sake of the students,” the representative said.
This post has been updated to correct the following:
The Hatchet incorrectly reported that officials issued student organizations their sanctions on different dates. All student organizations received their sanctions on Aug. 6. We regret this error.
