The president of Ohio State University issued a statement saying he “will not compromise” when it comes to enforcing the law and university policy amid pro-Palestine, anti-Israel protests on campus.
Ohio State University President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr., noting “devastating natural disasters, global conflict and tragedies across our nation,” said college campuses “must be places where we can process these events through respectful discussion and debate.”
He added, “We are here together to learn from one another and hear new and different perspectives – including those with which we disagree.”
At the close of an academic year marked by global conflict, @OhioStatePres Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. urges Buckeyes to consider how speech, while protected, might affect others in the community. “Ohio State must be a place where all are welcome and safe.” https://t.co/5y75ygzfHD
— Ohio State News (@OhioStateNews) April 22, 2024
“I remain steadfastly committed to maintaining an environment where all members of our community feel welcome while continuing to uphold the First Amendment and the laws of our state and nation. Ohio State will continue to prioritize safety, including having university police and trained staff on-site for student demonstrations. We will also consistently enforce our space rules, which do not allow for intentional disruptions of university events, classes, exams or programming, including commencement,” the university president said.
Carter said that when protected speech becomes “incitement or threats of violence,” the university “has and will always move quickly to enforce the law and university policy.”
“I will not compromise on this,” Carter (pictured above) said.
Carter’s statement comes days after students at Ohio State University openly called for Jewish students to be removed from the university, with one protest featuring students chanting in a viral video, “The Zionists have got to go.”
Graffiti featuring anti-Israel rhetoric, including “Free Palestine till we die” and “Globalize the Intifada,” was also present over the weekend on the university’s campus.
Last week, the university issued a statement on X saying, “Hate speech, including comments made at last week’s student demonstrations, is deplorable and does not align with our values, even if allowed under the First Amendment.”
Despite this, the group Students for Justice in Palestine at the Ohio State University is organizing a protest at the Ohio Union on Thursday.
“JOIN US THURSDAY, APRIL 25TH at the Ohio Union as we demand divestment from our university that profits off the genocide of Palestinians. This comes as part of a national solidarity campaign with all campuses that have launched their encampments—join us to demand change,” the group wrote in an Instagram post.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Walter Carter Jr.” by The Ohio State. Background Photo “Ohio State Sign” by The Ohio State University.
