A University of Michigan proposal aimed at preventing disruptions at its Ann Arbor campus after anti-Israel protesters disrupted an honors convocation is sparking backlash from free speech advocates.
Violations of the policy, which has not yet been implemented, could result in the suspension or expulsion of students and the dismissal of university employees.
The March 24 protest by groups calling for the school to divest from companies linked to Israel is among a series of demonstrations on college campuses across the United States in which students and organizations have taken sides – in support of the Palestinians or Israel – while Israel continues its 6-month war in Gaza against Hamas.
University of Michigan President Santo Ono said in a letter to the campus community that protesters who disrupted the annual undergraduate commencement ceremony “brought deep disappointment to students, parents, grandparents, siblings, and other relatives and friends.”
“We must all understand that while protest is valued and protected, disruption is not,” Ono wrote. “The right of one group to protest does not replace the right of others to participate in a joyful event.”
“It was heartbreaking for everyone who gathered – and especially for members of our Jewish community,” Ono added.
The October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas left 1,200 people, most of them civilians, dead. The militants took around 250 people hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s response to the attack was devastating. Bombings and ground offensives have killed more than 33,600 Palestinians in Gaza and injured more than 76,200, the Gaza Ministry of Health says. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its calculation, but says that women and children account for two-thirds of the dead.
The war triggered a humanitarian catastrophe. Most of the territory’s population has been displaced, and with vast areas of Gaza’s urban landscape destroyed by fighting, many areas are uninhabitable.
Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, which calls itself a Palestinian solidarity group, posted on social media that students ended the University of Michigan’s call to demand divestment from the school to Israel and “war profiteers who facilitate genocide.” .
The Associated Press left emails this week seeking comment from protest organizers.
Some University of Michigan students walked out of class on April 4, protesting the school’s ties to Israel and the planned policy, which, among other things, would prohibit disrupting speakers or performers. Students who violate the policy may face reprimand, disciplinary probation, restitution, removal from a specific course, suspension, or expulsion.
Employees who violate the policy could face misconduct charges, and the school “may institute disciplinary action, up to and including termination.”
The policy, if enacted as is, would apply to all students, employees, contractors, volunteers and visitors who engage in disruptive activities.
“We will not hesitate to protect the values we hold dear,” Ono wrote in a follow-up letter to the campus community. “Those who participate in disruptive activities will be held accountable.”
Michigan sophomore Annabel Bean said the school appears to be trying to limit and suppress student protests.
“The guidelines are really a huge overreach, in my opinion,” Bean told WXYZ-TV. “The point of a protest is to be disruptive and if you’re saying it can’t be disruptive then we’re not protesting, and how are you honoring your history of disruptive student protests?”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said it is concerned that the proposed policy, as written, will harm civil liberties on campus.
“We believe the proposed policy is vague and overly broad and risks harming a substantial amount of free speech,” ACLU Michigan said in a letter to Ono. “We recognize that the university has an interest in operating without major interruptions; however, in trying to achieve this objective, the proposed policy sacrifices too much.”
The university is reviewing community feedback to ensure any new policy reflects the school’s mission and values, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs Colleen Mastony said in an email.
“The university will not rush the development of this new policy,” Mastony said. “We will ensure that all voices have the opportunity to be heard. Our goal is to make policies clearer, ensure key terms are well defined, incorporate pathways for restorative action, and support respectful discussion of differing views.”
As it reads now, the proposed policy lacks clarity, said Thomas Braun, professor of biostatistics.
“For teachers, who are not on tenure or are not tenured, the concern is this overreaching policy…it is not clear what sanctions can be given to teachers,” Braun said, adding that there is fear of being denied tenure “because of something you participated in.”
Braun, who is also chairman of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, said there is always a debate on the school campus about freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
“I can support free speech and still defend one side or the other,” he said. “This issue has made it very clear to me that I have been oblivious to the experiences of Palestinians in Gaza. At the same time, I do not believe that I can tolerate the total removal of Israel as a state. How does a campus deal with its own turbulence around this issue while also being asked to solve the world’s problems?”
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