In the dead of night on November 21, a group of students linked to Sarah Lawrence College’s (SLC) Divestment Coalition stormed Westlands, the school’s main administrative building, and announced their occupation through social media. This was no quiet protest. Hiding their identities behind masks, the group decorated the building with signs, barricaded doors, and blocked windows with plywood, effectively shutting down the school’s operations. Dozens of students living in the dormitory above were trapped and access to key school offices were blocked. Outside, an encampment took shape, turning the scene into a spectacle broadcast across social media for the world to witness.
#BREAKING: Early this morning, radical anti-Israel students took over the Westlands administrative building at Sarah Lawrence College. They have barricaded the entrances and have launched an encampment outside the building.
The rioters are threatening to stay there until the… pic.twitter.com/N0dUYyJPBs
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 21, 2024
Over the course of the first chaotic day, the school’s administration failed to condemn the behavior or intervene to end the occupation of the building. By remaining silent and inactive in response to such a highly visible breach of rules, the school effectively took a political stance against Zionism. This inaction stands in direct contradiction to its March declaration to “ provide an environment in which all of our students — regardless of background, belief, or circumstance — have the unimpeded opportunity to actively and fully participate in the educational experience that is at the center of Sarah Lawrence’s mission” (original emphasis).
To date, no public statement condemning the actions of the Divestment group has been made by SLC’s President, Cristle C. Judd.
Only in an email to SLC community members did she say that the situation merely required the “relocat[ion] [of] some classes and administrative functions out of Westlands and temporarily suspend shuttle service.” She further stated that school’s “top priority is the safety and well-being of all on campus,” and noted that the “Dean of Students Dave Stanfield and his staff have communicated with students who reside in Westlands to offer support and resources and to open a line of communication should these students have any needs throughout the day.” But even if arrangements for students residing in the building were made, the group’s barricading of the building should be seen as an act of intimidation by the protesters—no student should have to navigate such a demonstration just to access their residence.
[RELATED: Sarah Lawrence Leaders Make Hollow Commitments to Free Expression]
In the same email, the president demonstrated yet another act of complicity—or, at best, naivety—towards the protesters, stating:
The College has not summoned outside law enforcement. Having been informed of their safety violations, we trust that today’s participants and their events will proceed in a manner consistent with clearly communicated college policies. We are confident we will navigate this moment together as a community.
The following day, while the building occupation had ended, the encampment outside only expanded, making President Judd’s email to the campus community on November 22 all the more difficult to reconcile with reality. She wrote, “Today, campus operations are back to normal.” They were not—the encampment remained firmly in place.
Adding to this surreal scenario, the Dean of Students issued a statement on November 23 that ostensibly framed the rules for guests as stricter but, in effect, welcomed outside agitators and radical participants as “guests.” These individuals were permitted on campus from dawn to dusk, purportedly to maintain the “health and safety of our community.” Here is how the Dean phrased it:
The safety of all members of our campus community remains our top priority and chief concern. Given your repeated calls inviting numerous individuals not affiliated with the College to campus, whose identity and intentions are not known, and following consultation with members of the senior team, effective immediately guests you have invited to participate will only be permitted on campus from dawn-to-dusk in order to maintain the health and safety of our community.
Struggle Video News released a short documentary on YouTube, which was filmed on Day 3 of the protest, according to its creator. The footage showcases the encampment and includes a statement from one of the coalition’s members, who goes by the name Armand:
When President Judd says, “I want to be clear that peaceful protest has long been a part of Sarah Lawrence’s history. I want to be equally clear that some of yesterday’s actions crossed lines in ways that cannot be ignored or condoned. Students whose actions threatened the health and safety of those in our community or who knowingly and repeatedly violated clearly communicated college policies will be subject to disciplinary action through the student conduct hearing process,” such words ring hollow to me.
For decades, SLC has permitted anti-Semitic and illiberal behavior to go unchecked. Judd herself sanctioned this same group’s disruption of last spring’s commencement address and has now effectively validated their views in this latest episode. The messages broadcast to Jewish students and the broader world were the antithesis of mutual respect and understanding.
As Senator Tom Cotton aptly remarked to protesters wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh in a Senate office building this week, “It’s a terrorist symbol and you should be ashamed for wearing it.”
A must-watch masterclass from Senator Tom Cotton.
“It’s a terrorist symbol and you should be ashamed for wearing it.” pic.twitter.com/gtOqRsWX6m
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) November 23, 2024
Similarly, these students at SLC hid their identities in Westlands and issued demands not for dialogue but for destruction. They called for harm against Zionists, the eradication of Israel, and displayed deeply inflammatory slogans such as “Long live the intifada!”
This fall, as I held open houses for my courses on polarization and the American presidency, the Divestment Coalition disrupted them by calling for a boycott and spreading libel. Their campaign failed, and my classes were filled with brave, committed students. The cause of this protest was my belief that Israel has the right to exist and defend itself, especially in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks. While I understand that students sometimes protest out of ignorance, neither faculty nor the administration acted against this disruption, which violated campus rules and stifled free expression. I publicly urged President Judd to stand for free speech and condemn the intimidation of students afraid to enroll in my classes. She did not respond and remained silent.
[RELATED: Sarah Lawrence College’s Answer to Anti-Semitism? Submit a Form and Move On]
For years, the administration has not promoted genuine liberal thinking, instead allowing groups like the Divestment Coalition to grow unchecked. This has taught students nothing about free speech, civility, or how to bring about change. Now, at the end of the semester, after being denied their divestment demand, these students have occupied the school’s main building and set up an encampment, refusing to explain or justify their views to even liberal outlets like the New York Times and the College has no clear plan to address any of this.
SLC has failed in its core mission of being an educational institution. Congressman Richie Torres is absolutely right in stating that these students are “Juvenile delinquents, casting themselves in the role of martyrs or jihadists, are theatrically occupying—or in their words ‘liberating’—Westlands in Sarah Lawrence College. These so-called ‘liberators’ are not activists but actors, more interested in performing than in problem-solving.”
Juvenile delinquents, casting themselves in the role of martyrs or jihadists, are theatrically occupying—or in their words “liberating”—Westlands in Sarah Lawrence College.
These so-called “liberators” are not activists but actors, more interested in performing than in… pic.twitter.com/I38WjaJlWC
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) November 22, 2024
The students’ behavior is performative; it is causing harm to their peers as well as to the school’s mission and core functions. The college should ask law enforcement to end this charade, and these students should be held fully accountable and must face consequences, including expulsion. Judd should be removed from office, and the school needs to return to its true values of actually providing a liberal education so that its students can “tackle the problems of, and thrive in, a complex and rapidly evolving world.” Sarah Lawrence College has fallen; it can be rebuilt with the right guidance and leadership. None of this should have happened, and it is a direct result of educational malpractice and disastrous leadership by the school’s president.
Image of Sarah Lawrence College Has Fallen by TargetMarget on Wikimedia Commons
This article was originally published at www.mindingthecampus.org
