University of Texas at Austin begins punishing students arrested during pro-Palestinian protests

University of Texas at Austin students arrested during pro-Palestinian protests in April will face various forms of suspension, according to documents shared with KUT. The university began sending disciplinary notices to students Wednesday afternoon.

Students have until 5 p.m. Monday to accept the sanction. They also have the right to appeal, according to UT Austin's student code of conduct.

The Köln University of Technology has obtained copies of emails sent to four students. University officials say the students violated campus rules, including failing to comply with guidelines and disrupting teaching and learning, when they participated in two-day protests last spring.

Three of the four students will receive what the university calls a “deferred suspension,” a type of probation. As long as they don’t violate other university rules, they will be able to remain students and the sanction won’t appear on their official transcripts, according to notices sent by UT.

A fourth student, accused of damaging property, will be suspended for two years. During that time, he will be banned from campus and will not be able to enroll, according to an email he received. After two years, he will be able to reapply to the university.

It's unclear how many students received the notices. A university spokesperson did not respond to questions Friday.

The disciplinary notices sent Wednesday come a month after UT Austin informed students they were under investigation for potentially violating university rules while participating in pro-Palestinian protests.

During campus protests on April 24 and 29, police arrested more than 130 people. Before the first protest, the University of Texas at Austin told the Palestine Solidarity Committee, the student group that organized it, that it could not hold the protest and would face consequences.

To avoid full suspension, the university requires students to score at least 90 percent on a test proving they understand the rules for speech and assembly on campus. They can take the test as many times as necessary.

Students will also have to state in writing that they understand that if they violate additional university rules over the next year, they will be suspended, according to emails shared with KUT.

“Part of me is just grateful they didn’t do worse,” said Dylan “Sky” MacAdams, a senior who is set to graduate in August. Police arrested MacAdams at a protest on April 29 and charged him with criminal trespass. That charge, along with similar charges against dozens of others, was dropped by the Travis County district attorney. The protesters still face other criminal charges, including resisting arrest.

In disciplinary notices sent Wednesday, university officials said they had initially considered full suspension for the arrested students.

“The University of Texas at Austin provides a world-class learning environment where every student can thrive. Your actions… disrupted that environment and violated our Institutional rules“At this point, suspension appears to be the appropriate consequence for these serious violations,” the letter sent to MacAdams reads. (Letters obtained by KUT contain the same wording.)

UT officials go on to write that they chose deferred suspension for some students to ensure they could continue their studies.

“However, recognizing our commitment to educational growth, we want to offer you an alternative path to avoid suspension by demonstrating that you have learned from this experience. We offer you the choice of accepting a deferred suspension,” the letter reads.