Adelphi University sanctions its SJP chapter for creating a hostile environment toward Jewish students, citing inflammatory social media posts and warning of possible suspension.
Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, has slapped its Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter with a one-year disciplinary probation after determining the group’s online activity contributed to a hostile environment for Jewish students. The sanctions follow a complaint filed by Israeli-American professor Tuval Foguel, who alleged the group’s rhetoric crossed the line into harassment.
In a letter from Adelphi’s community concerns and resolution office, the university concluded it was “reasonable to infer” that a Jewish student encountering the SJP posts could feel “targeted or unsafe.”
The flagged posts included:
- A provocative reflection on Hamas’s October 7 attack: “One year since Oct. 7. What have we learned about this historic day since it happened?”
- A declaration: “Long live the intifada.”
- A statement labeling Israel a “terror state” and branding “all its supporters as Zionist terrorists.”
Under the sanctions, SJP will remain on probation until August 7, 2026, facing “increased scrutiny” and the threat of suspension or loss of recognition for any violations. The chapter must also meet with university officials by September 15 to review appropriate social media practices.
Professor Foguel welcomed the decision as “an important step in the right direction” but urged universities to go further:
“Differences of opinion are one thing, but when a group crosses the line into harassment of other students due to their ethnicity, it becomes completely unacceptable and a clear violation of the law.”
Part of a National Pattern
SJP chapters across the U.S. have faced mounting disciplinary action over anti-Israel rhetoric and protests:
- University of Wisconsin–Madison suspended its SJP chapter last week for rule violations tied to an April protest.
- George Washington University suspended SJP in November 2023 after projecting anti-Israel slogans on campus, later extending sanctions through May 18, 2026.
- Columbia University suspended both SJP and Jewish Voice for Peace in November 2023 for repeated violations of event policies.
- Brandeis University revoked SJP’s recognition outright, citing the group’s “open support for Hamas.”
- University of Maryland revoked SJP’s permit for an anti-Israel vigil last year; SJP responded with a federal lawsuit.
Adelphi University has yet to respond publicly to requests for comment, while SJP remains silent on the ruling.
