News

FSJP statement in support of terminated USU staff member 

Whereas FSJP affirms the right of all U-M Faculty and Staff to exercise free speech and participate in actions affirming their beliefs, we unequivocally condemn the decision on the part of U-M Human Resources to suspend and then terminate a university staff member based on their participation in a pro-Palestinian protest in May 2024. This decision sets a dangerous precedent that exercising First Amendment rights in ways unpalatable to the Regents is grounds for dismissal at U-M. We demand that the University of Michigan reinstate the employee. 

On Monday, April 7, 2025 the staff member, who is a member of the U-M staff union University Staff United,  was suspended from their position as an Academic Program Specialist for the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) at the International Institute (II) for an alleged violation of the University’s Standard Practice Guide during a protest that took place almost a year ago, when the employee in question was a student. This protest predated her employment by the II and was unrelated to it. The II and CSAS leadership objected to the suspension and have made it clear that the employee’s performance was exemplary. Despite all of this, HR terminated her employment on Friday without consultation. Moreover, HR acknowledged that the termination was not related to work performance and is refusing to negotiate with USU. 

The stated reason for termination was the employee’s presence at a pro-Palestine protest at UMMA in early May 2024 where students sought to meet the Regents, and which University police forcibly cleared. The staff member–who was a student at the time–was never detained, charged, or had any criminal proceedings brought against her. Moreover, none of these individuals were accused of violating the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities as a result of participating in this protest. And yet the University has charged them and five others with violating the SPG regarding violence on campus. The police report states that the employee complied with law enforcement officers when asked to put down a megaphone at the protest. 

This is a politically-motivated termination. Furthermore, by choosing the harshest penalty available in the SPG, it is also designed to send a threatening message to the U-M community. The three U-M campuses face multiple federal threats, including funding cuts and malicious and capricious immigration enforcement. Yet instead of using its considerable resources to protect members of our community and the institution from federal interference, U-M leadership is choosing to engage in workplace repression and retaliation. 

We condemn the University of Michigan’s continued targeting of members of the university community who exercise their First Amendment right to speak out against the genocide being perpetuated by Israel in Gaza, and who call on the University of Michigan to divest from companies that profit from these atrocities. While today the censored issue is Gaza, any criminalization of First Amendment rights sets a dangerous precedent that will no doubt be used against other politically-charged subjects in the future. This is especially true at universities, where freedom of speech and expression are inextricably tied to academic freedom, which is the driving force of innovation and excellence in higher education. 

February 1, 2025

FSJP Letter of Support for SAFE

As faculty and staff at the University of Michigan, we strongly oppose the two-year suspension of Students Allied for Freedom & Equality (SAFE). This decision undermines the university’s commitment to free expression, student activism, and the open exchange of ideas. Furthermore, this decision is not isolated—it reflects a broader pattern of silencing voices that challenge institutional complicity in the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing imposed on the Palestinian people. Silencing a student organization dedicated to Palestinian advocacy sets a dangerous precedent—one that contradicts the core values of academic freedom and intellectual inquiry that this university claims to uphold.

The university’s actions send a clear message: certain perspectives, particularly those that challenge systems of power and oppression, will be met with institutional punishment rather than engagement. In a time when students are courageously speaking out against violence and injustice, we should be fostering dialogue, not shutting it down.

We stand in solidarity with SAFE and affirm the right of all students to organize, advocate, and challenge structures of oppression without fear of retaliation. As faculty and staff, we have a responsibility to support student activism, protect freedom of speech, and push back against policies that stifle dissent. We call on the university to immediately reconsider its decision and to uphold its stated principles of equity, justice, and academic integrity.

December 20, 2024

FSJP Letter of Support for Rachel Dawson

Dear President Ono, Provost McCauley, SACUA Chair Modrak, and SACUA members:

The University of Michigan Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, an organization of approximately four hundred supporters, is appalled by the report that Ms. Rachel Dawson, our Director of the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (part of U-M's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program), has been terminated from her job. A press release by U-M’s Director of Public Affairs claims: “Ms. Dawson was fired by the Provost because her behavior as a university representative at a conference and during an on-campus protest was inconsistent with her job responsibilities, including leading a multicultural office charged with supporting all students, and represented extremely poor judgment.”

When one considers the facts available in The New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Education, they show that the allegations against Ms. Dawson are without foundation. They also reveal that the procedures employed are unacceptable as they violate First Amendment Rights and afford outrageous individual influence to a single regent. Ms. Dawson has clearly repudiated the version of the conversation (at a conference) for which she has been accused of antisemitism, and that was inaccurately transmitted to the Anti-Defamation League—an organization widely seen as controversial in its promiscuous use of claims about antisemitism to silence critics of Israeli state policy. Several faculty eye-witnesses to the August 28th protest have refuted in print the claim that Ms. Dawson behaved inappropriately.

When the ADL transmitted its claims in a letter to U-M, a law firm that has worked for the ADL was hired by U-M to investigate. They concluded that the remarks alleged to Ms. Dawson could not be verified and U-M officials decided they would not fire Ms. Dawson. But, then, as reported by The New York Times, Regent Bernstein insisted on her termination.

U-M FSJP believes that the University of Michigan was wrong in its acceptance of such superficial evidence and also in the way that the termination was handled. This action sets a precedent for further attacks on free speech and the right to peacefully protest that U-M claims to support. It also suggests that freedom of speech and the right to protest can be further undermined by unverified claims of what people say they hear (sometimes due to misunderstanding, if not malice) and bullying by regents who do not have the best interests of our students, staff, and faculty in mind. U-M FSJP members stand by Ms. Dawson and her service to the University, and we urge that Ms. Dawson be reinstated immediately, with appropriate steps to make amends.

For more information on how to support Rachel Dawson, go to: Defending Rachel Dawson

FSJP Statement on the Anniversary of October 7

Amid the Israeli state’s remorseless and relentless genocidal assault against the Palestinian people and its indiscriminate bombings and invasion of Lebanon, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting and honoring human life and mourning its loss. Compassion for all civilian victims and their loved ones is an intrinsic part of our solidarity with Palestinian liberation. It only reinforces our commitment to an immediate and permanent ceasefire and arms embargo followed by concrete measures that guarantee safety, justice, and freedom for all in the region. 

October 7 began with the decades-long continued occupation and oppression of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, which has killed hundreds of thousands since 1948, and continued to mark an indiscriminate attack killing nearly 1000 people and taking hostage over 250 people in and around Re'im, Israel. This included not only Israeli Jews but also Israeli Palestinian and Bedouin citizens, and Asian migrant workers who came to Israel for work to support their families. The day ended with the launch of what became a violent, incessant, genocidal assault on Palestinians, which has to date displaced the entire population of Gaza, imprisoned without charge thousands of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, and killed tens of thousands of civilian men, women, and children. October 7th is a day that is traumatic for too many people. It deserves recognition, contextualization, and solace for the extreme loss of innocent civilian lives the day marks and the disproportionate, sustained violence October 7th, 2023 precipitated.

We refuse to be silent while the US government and US media, whether liberal or conservative, continue to whitewash this genocide and the US role in encouraging and funding Israeli war crimes. This month, we have seen Iran launch missiles at a military base in densely populated Tel Aviv and threats made against US army bases in Iraq should there be any retaliation on Iran. Every day the violence escalates, harming innocent civilians abroad, and bringing the threat of attacks against Americans closer to home. We demand that the US government follow our own laws and the Constitution, and stop funding war crimes, genocide, apartheid, and authoritarianism. Instead, we ask our country to enact a more just foreign policy in the Middle East that is not predicated on Palestinian--and now Lebanese--suffering. Neither Israeli nor American security and freedom can be protected through violence against Palestinians, Lebanese, Yemenis, Syrians, or others, but rather by ending escalation.

Moreover, as academics and higher education workers, we witness and condemn the entanglement of US universities, including the University of Michigan, in this genocide, from the refusal to divest from Israel’s military-industrial complex to its systematic repression of students, scholars, and workers who speak out about the injustices in Palestine. We demand that the University recommit itself to actually upholding – as opposed to merely invoking – academic freedom and shared governance in its policies and practices.

Call to action: 

Participate in the October 7 Walkout

FSJP Members will meet on the steps of North Quad at 3:20-3:25, wear your FSJP tee shirt and/or Keffiyah.

FSJP Statement Condemning Police Brutality and Arrests at Die-In Protest

As we welcome students back to campus for the Fall semester at University of Michigan, we must acknowledge that there is no “back to school” for students in Gaza, where all twelve universities and colleges have been bombed, depriving 88,000 university students access to higher education.  

Today, brave members of the TAHRIR Coalition called attention to this tragedy and reminded us of U-M’s complicity by staging a “Die-In” during the Festifall event at the Diag. This non-obstructive and non-disruptive protest was met with an aggressive response from UMPD who announced their presence with blaring bullhorns, proceeding to confront several protesters. Just as we have seen with previous protests, events were peaceful until the police arrived, bringing the violence with them.

The result of this belligerent attack by the hands of UMPD was serious injury to multiple protesters, one of whose head was slammed against concrete by police, and two were sent to the ER.

Additionally, four individuals were arrested without provocation. Two activists were targeted due to their racial identity. One remains in jail with DPSS suggesting they will be held through Friday afternoon. 

President Ono declared this a “Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment and Global Engagement,” and these students embody this message perfectly. UMPD’s actions today showed the hollowness of Ono’s words with such brazen use of force being leveled against students just three days into the semester. The university should be proud to have such passionately engaged students; instead, students who protest genocide are subjected to police violence, criminal charges, OSCR discipline, campus bans, loss of current employment, and are barred from ever working for the University of Michigan in the future. 

FSJP condemns this egregious and disproportionate response by UMPD and the administration who ordered this attack. We locate these arrests within a clear pattern of intimidation and repression specifically targeting pro-Palestine voices. We call on President Ono and the Regents to cease this discriminatory behavior, immediately release jailed protestors, and drop all retaliatory discipline. And lest we lose track: the purpose of the protests is for U-M to divest itself of funds supporting and profiting from genocide, to help bring an end to it.

Call to action: Release Student Racially Targeted by University of Michigan Police 

Email Zap: https://bit.ly/FestifallArrestZap

FSJP ENDORSES HUWAIDA ARRAF FOR U-M REGENT

The University of Michigan’s Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) proudly endorses Huwaida Arraf for Regent of the University of Michigan. As a distinguished alumna and a seasoned civil rights attorney, Huwaida has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to justice and equity. Her experience as a co-founder of a twice Nobel Peace Prize-nominated advocacy organization underscores her dedication to meaningful change both locally and globally.

Huwaida's priorities for the University of Michigan align closely with the values FSJP upholds. Her focus on affordability and accessibility, including the "Go Blue Guarantee" expansion and the promotion of debt-free education, reflects her commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of background, can access a Michigan education. Additionally, her advocacy for ethical governance and sustainable investment, including implementing conflict of interest policies, shows her forward-thinking approach to university administration.

Huwaida’s emphasis on protecting the rights of our campus community is critical in today’s climate. Her plans to affirm academic freedom, expand mental health services, and improve campus safety, focusing on prevention and survivor support, will foster a safer and more inclusive environment for all.

FSJP believes that Huwaida Arraf’s leadership as Regent will bring a fresh perspective, rooted in Michigan values, that will enhance our university’s commitment to diversity, excellence, and innovation across all three campuses. We are excited to support her vision for a brighter future at the University of Michigan.

Note: This endorsement is of the candidate Huwaida Arraf and her platform, not the Democratic Party itself or other Democratic Party candidates in the running.

FSJP Statement in support of a member facing termination. 

Whereas FSJP affirms the right of all U-M Faculty and Staff to exercise free speech and participate in actions affirming their beliefs, we unequivocally condemn the decisions on the part of Michigan Medicine Human Resources (MMHR) to summon one of our members for a Disciplinary Review Conference (DRC).

This week, with hardly any notice, a member of FSJP and a Michigan Medicine employee received notification of a summons to a DRC, a serious escalation. The stated reason for this was unspecified "actions" at a pro-Palestine protest in November 2023. Typically, a DRC is the final stage in a process, preceded by warnings, a probationary period, and possibly a temporary suspension. To move summarily to the DRC step – typically understood as the preamble to termination of employment – signifies MMHR is treating this employee as a serious threat.

It bears mention that the employee in question dedicated over twenty years of valuable service to the University of Michigan, contributing to significant research benefitting countless patients, and making possible innovative discoveries by the faculty and practitioners supported by this work. Now, just two years from retirement age, this service seems likely to be cut short, jeopardizing research projects at a critical point and potentially depriving or delaying their benefit to patients.

The fact that MMHR would prioritize politics over the needs of its faculty, researchers, and patients shows the dire state of this institution. 

We, as members of FSJP, decry the University of Michigan’s continued violence against its employees and students, punishing those speaking out against the genocide being perpetuated by Israel in Gaza and beyond, to ensure the university’s investments achieve maximum profits, and to protect the feelings of too-powerful regents.

We urge all University of Michigan employees, unions, student organizations, community members, and patients of Michigan Medicine to join us in condemning the actions of Michigan Medicine HR against this beloved staff person.

Gaza Encampment Call for showing solidarity during commencement ceremonies:

Here are some ways you can be in solidarity while participating in commencement ceremonies:

1) Wear a Keffiyeh to the ceremony.

2) If you are giving a speech or any kind of commencement address be sure to speak out in support of a permanent ceasefire, free Palestine, Divestment of Endowment, and solidarity for the Gaza Encampment and the University of Michigan.

3) If you are a staff volunteer, refuse to restrict students' free speech and protests during ceremony.

April 23, 2024 FSJP Statement of Support for Gaza Encampment

FSJP stands in solidarity with the students of the Gaza encampment on the campus of University of Michigan and others across the United States as they attempt to keep focus and attention on ending the ongoing genocide in Gaza and Occupied Palestine.

Whereas every university in Gaza has been destroyed – three university presidents and 95 academics, including professors, deans, and other staff killed; upwards of 88,000 students’ educations halted  – all institutes of higher education should be united in solidarity. And indeed we have seen remarkable student-led activism across the country. Unfortunately, the prevailing response from university administrators in the United States, including at University of Michigan, has been to slander student activists, trivialize their demands, and ultimately arrest them. 

We affirm the diversity of this movement, comprising a coalition of groups and individuals which includes numerous Jewish members of the university community, and Palestinians who have lost family and loved ones to Israel’s rampage. 

We reject the repressive actions and demonizing language of President Ono, other university administrators, and the regents, positing students as threats to the well-being of others – in particular, using the mendacious cudgel of anti-semitism – all the while disregarding the safety and well-being of Palestinian students. 

We call on the university to: 

1. Provide full transparency by disclosing all university investments;

2. Divest from any and all companies involved directly or indirectly in Israel’s genocide in Gaza and/or complicit in the occupation of Palestine;

3. Cease intimidation tactics of students such as creating unnecessary and threatening “Disruptive Activity Policy,” sending law enforcement to homes, issuing trespass citations, ordering disproportionate police presence at peaceful protests, and furthermore urge the prosecutor’s office to drop all charges currently pending against student protestors.

We are in the midst of a critical moment that requires a leading public institution such as ours to robustly protect academic freedom, free speech, and democracy, and we are grateful to these students for their example of bravery in the face of injustice.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE ENCAMPMENT:

1. Join in person on the Diag! We encourage faculty/staff, parents, alumni, and community members to shield the students as they chat, protest, pray, and build community.

2. Donate at this link to help secure supplies & food https://givebutter.com/h2NTYZ

3. Email the President and the regents using the script below:

Email script: https://tinyurl.com/UMCampZap

*when you click the link it will automatically open your default email program with an email ready for you to customize and send.

4. Call to express your support using the this phone script.

5. Reach out to tahrircoalition [at] gmail [dot] com with any additional questions about how to support the encampment.

Palestinian History: Understanding the Past, Engaging with the Present

Registration: https://campusconnections.umflint.edu/icc/rsvp_boot?id=378588

The UM-Flint and the Arab American Heritage Council are hosting a speaker event on key factors that have culminated in the current humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine. 

There will be three invited talks followed by a moderated Q&A session:

1. Dr. Juan Cole - The evolution of Palestinian statelessness. Dr. Cole (Professor of History, UM-Ann Arbor) has devoted his career to understanding the Middle East and the Muslim world and its relationship with the North Atlantic states.

2. Dr. Melanie Tanielian - The history of Israel’s humanitarian management of Gaza as a tool of occupation and permanent security. Dr. Tanielian (Associate Professor of History, UM-Ann Arbor) is a historian of war and society, interested in humanitarianism, human rights, and necropolitics.

3. Muna Tareh, MA, MPA - The international historical view of the Palestinian liberation struggle and its implications. Muna (Ph.D. candidate, Political Sci, Wayne State) researches the reach and limitations of human rights discourse in the transformation of situations of oppression and anti-colonial struggles.

Download flier to print.

• Op-ed published in The Michigan Daily.