Following previous suspensions and a cease-and-desist, American University’s Students for Justice in Palestine club is on suspension until 2027, according to an Instagram announcement on Feb. 5, leaving several students angry.
After the post, students and alumni responded in the comments that they felt disgusted, with multiple comments replicating the same message, “shame on AU.”
According to Deputy Chief Communications Officer Elizabeth Deal, in a statement to The Eagle, SJP was suspended for violating university policies, outlined by the Student Organization Conduct Status website.
The site lists SJP’s suspension as a violation of the University’s Discrimination and Non-Title IV Sexual Misconduct policy. Further details on the suspension were not outlined in Deal’s statement, nor on the website.
Prior to this suspension, SJP was placed on disciplinary probation twice in 2024. The club was known on campus for hosting workshops, organizing pro-Palestine protests and educating the student body about current events during the Israel-Hamas war.
The announcement left Ada Truett-Schriber, an active SJP member and sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, stunned and outraged.
“I find that the University’s decision to suspend SJP is essentially a painful reminder that our University is just like our nation's higher powers who will violate anyone's right to free speech if it means protecting donorship,” Truett-Schriber said.
In the wake of the suspension, AU Rise Up and other activist organizations spoke out in support of SJP on their Instagrams, condemning the suspension.
“[The administration being] unwilling to listen to the demands of their community… so glad these are the ‘changemakers’ ready to ‘meet the moment,” AU Rise Up said in a comment under the announcement
For the 2025-2026 school year, American University revised the club handbook to enforce a zero percent tolerance for discrimination. As a result, clubs were made to post the following paragraph under all event announcements on Engage and Instagram:
“American University student organizations shall not discriminate in membership or benefits on the basis of any individual’s personal identity or characteristics, including but not limited to race, color, national origin (or shared ancestry), religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.”
SJP did not list this paragraph under its event Instagram posts. However, lack of posting the statement is not specifically listed under the club’s violation on the conduct website as a reason for the suspension.
Despite accusations of discrimination, Truett-Schiber said she valued the club’s sense of community more than anything.
“I really felt like the club was simply a community for people who believe in Palestinian people’s right to self-determination,” Truett-Schiber said. “I believe it is a community of very bright students who are simply against the Zionist project.”
Lara Senna, an SJP member and sophomore in the School of International Service, said she has never felt unsafe at club events.
Senna continued to state that she knows the e-board personally and considers them friends.
“These are not violent people, they are honestly really people who are super educated and just trying to send a message,” Senna said.
She added that in coming to the University, she hoped to have a safe space to talk about her beliefs and experiences. Now, Senna said she isn’t so sure.
“My future at AU looks like there isn’t gonna be a single club for me,” Senna said.
This article was edited by Natalie Hausmann, Payton Anderson and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Avery Grossman, Ryan Sieve and Ava Stuzin. Fact-checking done by Andrew Kummeth.
