Auraria Campus Faculty Call for an End to Student Protester Retalition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Auraria Campus Faculty Call for an End to Student Protester Retaliation

12:00pm

May 22

Tivoli Quad

Contact: Z Williams, Co-Director Bread and Roses Legal Center

Dozens of students attending the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and Community College of Denver are facing retaliation from their respective schools for their participation in the Auraria Solidarity Encampment.

In response, faculty from all three institutions are calling for the administrations to end the conduct hearings.

“I feel it is important to stand in solidarity with our students as they stand up for what they think is right. I want the students to know we care and the administration to know we are watching,” said Dr. Kyle Montano (he/him), an Instructor in Economics at the University of Colorado Denver.

Students have received disciplinary letters for alleged participation in various non-violent protests across the campus. Several have received suspensions of unknown durations. Conduct violation notices are vague and do not offer students information about the evidence collected against them or what to anticipate in the hearings. Many students facing criminal charges have not had the opportunity to consult with legal counsel prior to being called for hearings.

“The administrations of the three institutions are using disciplinary hearings to chill speech and punish students for engaging in protest,” said Z Williams (they/them), an MSU Denver Alum and organizer with the Protest Defense Legal Committee. “Student conduct hearings lack due process. We are very concerned that students may be asked to participate in a process that could ultimately harm their criminal cases as well.”

In addition to the conduct process, many students have been barred from accessing buildings, which has impacted student employment, academic involvement, career support, and community.

“For some students who are employed by campus, the school revoked campus access even for employment—forcing students to face an impossible dilemma: protect their fifth amendment right against incrimination or protect their livelihood and be forced to participate in a hearing without counsel,” said Ashley Cordero (she/her), an attorney with the Protest Legal Defense Committee.