The below message was sent to students, faculty, and staff on April 21, 2025.
Dear Bryn Mawr students, faculty, and staff:
Earlier today, a handful of members of Bryn Mawr Students for Justice in Palestine and Bi-Co Jewish Voices for Peace interrupted a Bryn Mawr 鈥淚n Focus鈥 event for admitted undergraduate students. They disrupted the event with chanting and bullhorns with amplified sound. These bullhorns were used inside Goodhart Hall in close proximity to College visitors and others, creating a frightening environment with potential dangers to others鈥 hearing and safety. SJP and JVP have taken responsibility for the disruptions on their respective Instagram feeds.
Today鈥檚 protest was in direct violation of Freedom of Speech and Limits of Dissent policies that all undergraduate students must uphold, as noted . As a result, the leadership of Bi-Co Jewish Voices for Peace and Bryn Mawr Students for Justice in Palestine received notices today that the groups have been placed on Interim Suspension. The terms of their suspension have been spelled out in their official notification.
While free expression remains foundational to higher education, the College remains committed to balancing that with our need to ensure continuity of operations so we can fulfill our core educational mission. As I have stated previously, we aim to support peaceful protests and demonstrations that honor the ability of individuals and groups to express their ideals. We also respect the right of all students to hold and share divergent political and social perspectives. But what happened today runs counter to these goals because the expression of those privileges deprived other community members of their own opportunity to participate in the College鈥檚 programs. The expression of even deeply held beliefs does not override others鈥 opportunities to fully participate in the College鈥檚 activities, to learn, and to thrive.
While an investigation of today鈥檚 incident continues, I remind the community of our collective commitment to uphold the ideals of our Honor Code system. Please step forward with any information that could help identify the students who participated in today鈥檚 disruption. Call Campus Safety at 610-526-7911 or submit information anonymously using their . Individual students involved in today鈥檚 events are subject to College Honor Board policies with consequences that may include suspension through our Dean鈥檚 Panel process.
Sincerely,
Wendy Cadge
President and Professor of Sociology