Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley’s School of Law and an ardent supporter of free speech, rebuked a group of students for staging a pro-Palestinian protest at his home as the fallout from Israel’s war in Gaza continues to roil US campuses.
“Although many complained to me about the posters and how it deeply offended them, I felt that though deeply offensive, they were speech protected by the First Amendment,” he said in a statement. “Repeatedly, we said to her that you are a guest in our home, please stop and leave,” he said. “About 10 students were clearly with her and ultimately left as a group.”
UC Berkeley is one of several schools under investigation by the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce for their handling of antisemitism on campuses. The majority of the backlash has been concentrated around prestigious East Coast universities, particularly Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania. Both institutions have seen the resignation of their presidents following controversial congressional hearings about antisemitism on college campuses.