The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees met Thursday to reinforce its commitment to the school working with state and federal law enforcement to manage protests in the future.
Several destructive protests last year sparked Thursday’s discussion among board members. They passed a resolution to address the protests.
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“Our university and this board led the nation regarding protecting speech and thoughts on our campus,” board member Perrin Jones said.
On Thursday, board members said the resolution teeters between violating university policy and free speech.
Some UNC board members said last year’s protests in Chapel Hill went too far.
“When we talk about free speech, and we’re very much in favor of it, that’s different from shouting people down or mob rule, and I think sometimes the two concepts get conflated,” board member W. M. “Marty” Kotis III said. “And, I think what this resolution does is really kind of draws the line and make sure that we’re in compliance with Title XI and addresses safety issues, not words – people are entitled to share their words – but when they cross over into violence, property damage and other actions like that … or if they shout down or disrupt university operations, that’s that line.”
In the spring of 2024, student protests included graffiti sprayed on campus buildings and classes canceled after a clash of protesters and campus police.
There is also pressure from the federal level – some schools have had federal grants and contracts canceled because they are seen as not taking sufficient action to protect Jewish students in the wake of the pro-Palestinian protests.
Earlier this month, the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education and the U.S. General Services Administration announced the immediate cancelation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. The federal entities cited Columbia University’s “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
Columbia University received a list of nine demands that, if met, could result in funding getting reinstated.
UNC's resolution addresses many of the demands.
On April 30, pro-Palestinian protesters and police clashed on UNC’s Chapel Hill campus after a group replaced the American flag with a Palestinian flag on the main campus quad, also known as Polk Place. Protesters tore down metal barricades surrounding the flagpole in the center of the quad to do so. Dozens of police officers entered the main quad along with UNC Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts. Classes were canceled for the rest of the day and non-mandatory operations were suspended.
“We need to do what we can as citizens of our university to stop the hate speech, to keep it from happening and to keep our students safe, regardless of which side of any issue you’re on,” said board member Ralph Meekins Sr. “And that if you do break the law, there are going to be consequences, and we believe that there needs to be.”
Meekins said he supports the resolution but is concerned it is not broad enough.
“My only concern with resolution … is that it singles out anti-Semitism instead of any other hate group that could be out there,” Meekins said.
Meekins mentioned the Feb. 10, 2015, Chapel Hill shooting of three Muslim students.
“That was at the forefront of our thoughts at that time,” Meekins said. “So, I just want the community to know and I believe that every single member of this board agrees with me, that it’s any hate speech that we’re against. It’s any hate speech that needs to be monitored very heavily because it doesn’t need to get out of control, and if it does, there needs to be consequences.”