Vanderbilt University's Response to Student Protests: Expulsions and Faculty Criticism
Three students have been expelled, one suspended, and 22 issued disciplinary probations following preliminary hearings involving 27 students suspended for participating in a sit-in protest at Vanderbilt University. Faculty members have criticized the administration's response, with over 150 professors signing an open letter to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier condemning the university's actions as overly punitive and inconsistent with its commitment to free speech. The faculty expressed concern for the suppression of student activism and speech on campus and called for the repeal of all suspensions and criminal charges against the students involved in the protests.