A Vanderbilt University student is crying online after being arrested and expelled for “pushing a staff member” and breaking into a building to stage a sit-in against Israel.
Jack Petocz, 19, was one of four students arrested in a student-led sit-in at Kirkland Hall on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 26.
Video footage released by Vanderbilt captured students running into Kirkland Hall, pushing past a lone security officer who appears to be attempting to secure the building.
The school identified the three students arrested for assault and battery, 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 homosexual with a megaphone,” took to X to complain about the severity of the university’s response.
Petocz, who describes himself as a “19-year-old homosexual with a megaphone,” took to X to complain about the severity of the university’s response after he was arrested and expelled for “pushing a staff member.” and “break into a building.” organize an anti-Israel sit-in
X edited his post and added ‘a community note’ to add more context.
Security footage released by the university shows a mob shoving a lone security guard on March 26. Schulman and Burks are seen at the front of the group walking forward to enter Kirkland Hall as the officer attempts to stop them, while Petocz can be seen behind them.
“I’m 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 against the genocide in Palestine. Vanderbilt will let sex offenders go free, but expel passionate organizers.
X edited his publication and added “a community note” that said: “As part of the protest, Jack Petocz was arrested and faces minor charges of aggression and body injuries to another person after supposedly pushing a community services officer.” The message included a link to coverage of the incident as reported by JNS.
Petocz later responded: ‘The community note in this post is patently false. I did not touch a community service officer, nor am I close to the individual in the video. I would implore him to trust a student activist over a rich, powerful white man, but that is his choice. More information will come.’
But users quickly criticized Petocz in the comments, criticizing him for the hypocritical nature of his statement.
‘Aren’t you also white and going to an expensive university?’ one wrote.
“Said the rich, privileged, whiny white guy,” another user chimed in.
“You’re recorded,” another reminded the freshman.
Schulman and Burks are seen on camera at the front of the group walking towards Kirkland Hall as the officer attempts to stop 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 allege that campus police locked them down as a pressure tactic.
The demonstration, organized by the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition, was aimed at forcing the university to stop funding organizations that support Israel.
In addition to the three students who have been expelled, one was suspended and 22 received disciplinary probation after a week of preliminary hearings involving the 27 students suspended for their participation in the sit-in protest at Kirkland Hall.
The demonstration, organized by the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition, was aimed at forcing the university to stop funding organizations that support Israel.
Masked mobs attempted to organize a vote in favor of an amendment to the Vanderbilt student government constitution.
Security footage released by the 151-year-old university shows a swarm of protesters passing a lone security guard at 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 allege that campus police locked them down as a pressure tactic.
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 protesters’ targets.
Videos taken from inside the building and shared on social media showed them sitting on the floor, arm in arm and mocking campus security.
Protesters said that once inside, they were forcibly prevented from leaving. Videos taken from inside the building, shared on social media, showed them sitting on the floor, arm in arm and mocking campus security.
In one video, protesters are heard telling a police officer, who is black: ‘You are black in America and you are NOT on the side of the world’s marginalized people.’ 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.
Protesters then shouted “shame” at him.
But as the protest stretched into the night, many wanted to leave for medical reasons.
A video shared on social media showed a protester calling 911, claiming he was worried that if he went outside he would be arrested, but that if he stayed inside he would go into ‘toxic shock.’
They said: ‘There is currently a student who is being denied the right to change her tampon which has been in for several hours, leading to an increased risk of toxic shock syndrome.
“If you get up to go to the bathroom to change your tampon, [campus police] They’re threatening to arrest her, so it’s not an option for her.
“Student Affairs staff took a phased approach to alleviate the situation,” the University statement said. ‘First, they asked the students to leave. After the students refused to leave, staff let them know that their actions violated university policy and that they would be subject to disciplinary action.
‘After several hours, the university began issuing provisional suspensions. Students on provisional suspension must leave campus immediately and will not be able to 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 jeopardized, or members are intimidated or harmed.
The university emphasized the importance of civil discourse and free expression, but said that storming the building during the sit-in would result in the provisional suspension of everyone involved.
Protesters said that once inside, they were forcibly prevented from leaving.
A Vanderbilt spokesperson said that “the university will take action when our policies are violated, the safety of our campus is in danger, and when people intimidate or hurt members of our community.”
Chancellor C. Cybele Raver, in an email to the Vanderbilt community on April 5, announced that students have 10 days to appeal their cases, during which they will retain access to campus and university resources. university.
In an open letter to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Raver, along with the Office of the General Counsel and Faculty Senate President Andrea Capizzi, criticized the administration’s actions in March, including the distribution of interim suspensions to student protesters .
The letter, signed by 154 professors at the time of its publication, denounces what they perceive as an overly punitive response from the university.