As the number of protests on Temple’s campus continues to rise, the university has amended its on-campus demonstration guidelines.
A new section to the guidelines was added in August 2024 that states no demonstration can interrupt pedestrian or vehicular traffic, cause injury or damage to a person or property and the use of voice amplifiers are prohibited inside campus facilities and outside if it disrupts classes.
The revised section comes after a year of several protests on campus, many including the use of megaphones and marching on Broad Street. Students for Justice in Palestine led protests through the street while the Temple Association of University Professionals picketed in front of Mazur Hall.
Last week, SJP gathered at Charles Library, marched to Alter Hall and ended by blocking traffic on Broad Street en route to the Hillel Center for Jewish Life. Temple President Richard Englert, in an email to the university community, condemned the actions and said any participating students would receive disciplinary action.
As students returned to campus in August, the university emphasized awareness of Student Conduct Code and demonstration guidelines in an email to the community. The email did not specify policy changes.
“As we routinely do during the summer, university personnel spent time reviewing our existing policies, regulations and guidelines with an eye towards streamlining and clarifying them,” a university spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Temple News.
The university is also disciplining students for off-campus activity which resulted in their arrests last semester.
Students from various colleges in the Philadelphia area participated in a pro-Palestine encampment on Penn’s campus in May. Following a 16-day camp out, students were arrested and charged with defiant trespass, including several Temple students.
The Temple students facing disciplinary action by the university are being represented by Solomon Worlds, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization that defends constitutional rights of individuals.
Worlds released a letter addressed directly to Temple administration Aug. 15 discrediting the basis of the university’s disciplinary action.
“Today it’s pro-Palestinian activists, tomorrow it’s someone else,” Worlds said. “I’m not the first person to point this out. Nelson Mandela was saying it in the 80s and 90s, though many have said it before and after him. None of us are free until all of us are free. And an attack on one is an attack on all. It’s why the ACLU was founded, and why the ACLU of Pennsylvania is representing students here.”
A similar letter was later released by TAUP condemning the university for their decision to discipline students for their involvement in Penn’s encampment.
One of the students represented by ACLU PA told the Temple News they were given a central booking number with the charge of defiant trespass. Legal action was not pursued by the Philadelphia District Attorney. The conduct hearings and sanctions are actions pursued solely by the university.
In hearings with designated members of the Department of Student Affairs, an accused Temple student told The Temple News they were told they violated codes 13 and 23 of the Student Conduct Code — failure to comply and disorderly conduct. While both provisions were referenced, the student was only asked to define their violation of code 13 during their hearing.
“[Code 13] was also the only code of conduct they found us guilty of as they had no evidence whatsoever regarding our conduct before, during or after our arrest. They claimed that simply the fact that we were arrested meant we failed to comply,” the anonymous Temple student said.
The student explained that while the university never specifically mentioned which code allows them to pursue disciplinary action towards them, they believe it is Code III(A). The code writes that any off-campus incident can be applied to the Student Code if it affects the university community.
The student was placed on disciplinary probation during the conduct hearings. This prevents the student from being involved in any student leadership positions on campus and bars them from studying abroad.
“My experience at Temple prior to this has been amazing,” the student said. “I love my professors and the education is amazing. I’ve been so radicalized by professors that I really admire and that I consider mentors. And then Temple is coming down on us hard and trying to send this scary message that using our education for good is a bad thing and is wrong, and disciplining us for it.”
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