Updated: 10:55 p.m. on Oct. 1.
Temple has placed the university’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine on interim suspension following a protest at a career fair on campus that led to at least one student’s arrest, a spokesperson for the university confirmed to The Temple News Tuesday night.
The university said the organization violated multiple on-campus demonstration guidelines during the protest last week, which occurred in the Howard Gittis Student Center during a career fair for the College of Engineering.
“Failure to abide by university policies and these guidelines has consequences for student organizations as well as individual students,” the spokesperson said. “As a result of recent conduct, Temple has placed [SJP] on interim suspension in accordance with the Student Conduct Code during the pendency of the conduct process.”
The interim suspension applies to all operations related to SJP, including meetings, activities, socials and philanthropic events, the spokesperson added.
On Aug. 29, SJP organized a march that started at Charles Library before leading protesters to Alter Hall and ending at the Hillel Center for Jewish Life on Temple’s campus. Following the march, Temple President Richard Englert sent a message to the Temple community condemning the actions.
Englert sent a similar message to the university community following last week’s career fair protest.
The four students who were arrested, including the one Temple student, all had their charges dropped by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, but Temple’s Department of Public Safety told The Temple News they will continue to work with the DA’s office to provide additional materials to charge the four individuals.
The Philadelphia Council of American-Islamic Relations has also called on Temple, TUPD and the Philadelphia Police Department to conduct a “comprehensive investigation” into the response to the career fair protest that allegedly resulted in the hijab of a proster being removed.
TUPD wrote in a social media post Thursday that there was no evidence of police wrongdoing after reviewing hours of both body cameras and building security footage. A spokesperson for DPS told The Temple News Tuesday that the department stands by that statement. DPS did not comment further on CAIR-Philadelphia’s call for a comprehensive investigation.
“We used enough force to effect an arrest and no more,” Griffin said following the protest. “I’m extremely proud of the restraint our officers used.”
A representive for SJP also confirmed the interim suspension to The Temple News late Tuesday night.
“It is pending the outcome of an investigation and any related charges,” the representative wrote in an email to TTN.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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