A Vanderbilt University student screams online after being arrested and expelled for “pushing a staff member” and breaking into a building to stage an anti-Israel sit-in.
Jack Petocz, 19, was one of four students arrested during a student-organized sit-in at Kirkland Hall on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 26.
Video footage released by Vanderbilt showed the students rushing into Kirkland Hall, passing a lone security guard who appeared to be trying to secure the building.
The school identified the three students arrested for assault and bodily injury — which is classified as a misdemeanor — as Devron Burks, freshman Jack Petocz, and sophomore Samuel Schulman.
Petocz, who describes himself as a “19-year-old gay man with a megaphone,” took to X to complain about the harshness of the university’s response.
Petocz, who describes himself as a “19-year-old gay man with a megaphone,” complained to break-in into a building. organize an anti-Israeli sit-in
X edited his post by adding “a note from the community” to add more context.
Security footage released by the university shows a crowd walking past a lone security guard on March 26. Schulman and Burks are seen at the front of the group walking towards Kirkland Hall as the officer attempts to stop them while Petocz can be seen behind them.
“My name is Jack Petocz, a 19-year-old activist who has been fighting for marginalized people for years,” he wrote. “Yesterday I was expelled from Vanderbilt University for peacefully protesting the genocide in Palestine. Vanderbilt will let sexual attackers go free, but will expel enthusiasts by organizing.
X changed his message, adding “a note from the community” which said: “As part of the demonstration, Jack Petocz was arrested and faces charges of crime of aggression and bodily injuries on another after having allegedly pushed a community services officer. The post included a link to coverage of the incident reported by JNS.
Petocz later responded: “The community rating on this post is blatantly false. I did not touch any community service officers nor am I near the individual in the video. I would implore you to trust a student activist over rich, powerful white men, but that’s your choice. More information will come.
But users were quick to criticize Petocz in the comments, calling him out for the hypocritical nature of his statement.
“Don’t you go to an expensive college too, white guy?” » we wrote.
“Says the rich, privileged, whiny white boy,” another user added.
“You’re on tape,” another reminded the freshman.
Schulman and Burks are seen on camera at the front of the group advancing to enter Kirkland Hall as the officer attempts to arrest them while Petocz can be seen behind them.
Petocz is being held on $2,000 bail, while Schulman and Burks are being held on $1,000 bail.
They took control of the building, but many say campus police locked them in as leverage.
The protest, organized by the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition, aimed to force the university to stop funding organizations that support Israel.
In addition to the three students who were expelled, one was suspended and 22 received disciplinary probation after a week of preliminary hearings involving the 27 students suspended for their involvement in the sit-in protest at Kirkland Hall.
The protest, organized by the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition, aimed to force the university to stop funding organizations that support Israel.
Masked crowds attempted to hold a vote for an amendment to Vanderbilt’s student government constitution.
Security footage released by the 151-year-old university shows a swarm of protesters pushing past a lone security guard outside the front door of the building on March 26, where Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier’s office is located .
They took control of the building, but many say campus police locked them in as leverage.
The sit-in began after the university administration refused to allow students to vote on changing the student government constitution to prevent funds from being spent on the protesters’ targets.
Videos taken from inside the building, shared on social media, showed them sitting on the floor, holding arms and taunting campus security.
Protesters said that once inside, they were prevented from leaving. Videos taken from inside the building, shared on social media, showed them sitting on the floor, holding arms and taunting campus security.
In one video, protesters were heard telling a black police officer: “You are black in America and you do NOT stand with the marginalized people of the world. What does that make you?
“32,000 dead and you don’t care. You could stand with us and be on the right side of history, but you won’t.
The demonstrators then shouted “shame” at him.
But as the protest continued late into the night, many wanted to leave for medical reasons.
A video shared on social media showed a protester calling 911, saying he feared arrest if he went outside, but that if he stayed inside he would experience “toxic shock.”
They said: “A student is currently being refused the right to change her tampon which has been left on for several hours, leading to an increased risk of toxic shock syndrome.
“If she gets up to go to the bathroom to change her tampon, (campus police) threaten arrest, so that’s not an option for her.”
“Student Affairs staff took a phased approach to de-escalate the situation,” the University statement said. “First they asked the students to leave. After the students refused to leave, staff made them aware that their actions violated university policy and that they would be subject to disciplinary action.
“After several hours, the university began issuing interim suspensions. Students on interim suspension must leave campus immediately and may not return until further notice, pending the Student Affairs review process.
In response to the incident, a Vanderbilt University spokesperson confirmed the institution’s commitment to taking action when policies are violated, community safety is compromised, or members are intimidated or wounded.
The university stressed the importance of civil discourse and free speech, but said entering the building during the sit-in would result in an interim suspension for everyone involved.
Protesters said that once inside, they were prevented from leaving.
A Vanderbilt spokesperson said “the university will take action when our policies are violated, the security of our campus is compromised, and when people intimidate or harm members of our community.”
Provost C. Cybele Raver, in an email to the Vanderbilt community on April 5, announced that the students had 10 days to appeal their case, during which they would retain access to Vanderbilt resources. campus and university.
In an open letter to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Raver, alongside the Office of General Counsel and Faculty Senate President Andrea Capizzi, criticized the administration’s actions in March, including issuing interim suspensions to student protesters.
The letter, signed by 154 professors at the time of publication, denounces what they perceive as an overly punitive response from the university.
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