The University of Pittsburgh, a more than 235-year-old public school in Pennsylvania, placed the campus Students for Justice in Palestine chapter on “interim suspension of registration” on Tuesday, the Pitt News, a student publication, reported.
“Individuals acting on behalf of SJP” engaged “improperly” in “communications to members of the conduct hearing board,” Jamey Mentzer, associate director of student conduct at the highly-ranked university, reportedly wrote to the student group’s leaders.
“This suspension has no specified end date and prevents SJP from organizing events and receiving university resources such as event spaces and requesting funds,” per the Pitt News.
SJP was the subject of a Feb. 4 hearing, and it has yet to hear back from the university about a ruling on a protest it held in December.
StopAntisemitism posted what it said is a copy of the letter to the SJP leaders. The letter suggested that the student group, which is still listed on the Pitt site as one of 928 student groups, has 10 days to appeal.
JNS asked the university if the letter is authentic and if the public school can guarantee the safety of Jews on campus.
“The university’s approach to student conduct necessitates respecting the privacy and integrity of ongoing investigations,” a Pitt spokesperson said. “Conduct proceedings are an unbiased, educational process designed to uphold community standards and the code of conduct.”
