The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed news that the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) ruled during a recent administrative hearing that the campus group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) did not violate the Code of Student Conduct while holding a peaceful protest on campus earlier this semester.
SEE: UMBC SJP Statement on Hearing Board’s Ruling that Code of Student Conduct Was Not Violated
“We congratulate the UMBC SJP board on this news, and renew our commitment to ensuring students can exercise their First Amendment rights in all institutions of learning,” said CAIR’s Maryland director Zainab Chaudry.
BACKGROUND:
In March, the UMBC SJP board learned that administrators had charged the student group with allegedly violating its policies following a peaceful protest the group held at a campus Starbucks in February to raise awareness about the ongoing genocide in Gaza. SJP members reported that they had notified campus police and the Office of Student Affairs beforehand, and campus police were present and observing the action.
UMBC is a public university composed of a diverse community that increasingly supports Palestinian human rights.
On April 30, CAIR joined IMAN Action Network in launching an action alert on behalf of the student group. Over 4,200 letters were sent to UMBC administrators urging them to drop the charges.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062