Charges against four North Carolina Central University protesters stemming from a housing protest in April were dropped on Tuesday.
According to lawyers representing the students, the state of North Carolina dismissed the charges against four students and a professor after a judge denied the state’s attempt to delay its case.
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“The dismissals are vindication for Daniel Atwood, Jose Estrella and Moriah Flowers, who spent five months facing fallout from the university’s aggressive response to a campus protest,” said a spokesperson for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, the group representing the protesters.
Shortly after receiving the release from the spokesperson, WRAL News learned charges against a fourth person, Makaila Tinsely, were also dismissed.
On April 17, campus police arrested five people during a rally where students were protesting for increased student housing. The school called the protest an “unauthorized rally,” and claimed at least three of the people arrested were not affiliated with the university. Jaylen Glascoe was the only person arrested during the protest who was not affiliated with the university, but NC Central claimed Estrella was also not affiliated with them.
In July, campus police released body camera footage of the protest under the order of a judge.
Lawyers for the four protesters celebrated the decision.
“This ruling means our clients can finally move forward with their lives and focus on their studies,” said Dominique Erney, an attorney with SCJU. “They should never have been forced to endure this ordeal, and we will continue to fight for the right to protest.”
SCJU said the arrests and charges had lasting consequences. Atwood, an adjunct professor, was immediately suspended before any investigation. Estrella, a former NCCU student currently enrolled at Durham Tech, was banned from campus. Flowers, a current NCCU student, was evicted from her student housing one week into the current semester
WRAL News has reached out to North Carolina Central for comment on the dismissal of the case and is waiting to hear back.