As chair of the GW’s Department of History, I am writing in response to the story “Pro-Palestinian student groups, officials resume talks on financial disclosure, divestment” on Sept. 6. The story reported, accurately, that during recent live-streamed talks between GW’s Student Coalition for Palestine and University officials, the history department’s Instagram account published messages of support for the pro-Palestinian student group. 

But the Instagram comments did not represent the history department or its faculty. Rather, a student employee wrongly used the department’s Instagram account to express private political views. While the history department joins University President Ellen Granberg and Provost Chris Bracey in celebrating civil student activism and the right to free expression, we have taken measures to ensure that the department’s social media and other communication networks do not express personal views or are employed for private use of any kind in the future.   

Denver Brunsman is the chair of the Department of History.