Students at the University of Texas at Austin who were arrested during pro-Palestinian protests in April are being investigated by the university and may face disciplinary action, according to emails sent to students Friday and shared with KUT.
Since late May, at least six students, including the three who received letters Friday, have had holds placed on their accounts, meaning some have not been able to register for classes, access transcripts or get a copy of their diplomas. Many of these students were waiting for official disciplinary letters from UT, which did not come until Friday.
One of the students now facing discipline from the university is Saja Naser. Police arrested her during the April 24 pro-Palestinian protest. Like others arrested that day, Naser’s charge of criminal trespassing was later dropped. But since May 20, Naser estimates, she has had a non-financial hold on her account, meaning she has not been able to register for a required course in what is supposed to be her final semester of school.
But in follow-up phone calls, Naser was not given a reason for the hold on her account. KUT listened in on a phone call Naser made to the Office of the Dean of Students. When she asked an employee why there was a hold on her university account, the person said, “I don’t have that information.” Anne-Marie Garcia Jardine spent weeks trying to get a copy of her transcript to send to New York University, where she is planning to attend graduate school in the fall. She has had a hold on her account since May, she said, and was receiving emails from NYU saying she might lose her place as a student without a transcript from UT Austin.