On Thursday afternoon, all six house professors sent an email to senior administrators, saying that their characterization of student protesters at the Parkhurst sit-in was not fully accurate. The letter was obtained and reviewed by The Dartmouth.
The house professors wrote in direct response to a campus-wide email from co-interim deans of the College Anne Hudak and Eric Ramsey, that claimed protesters were “threatening harm.” The email also said that a president’s staff member and Safety and Security officer “were hurt during the confrontations.”
Four of the six professors were brought into Parkhurst Hall during the sit-in last week to support de-escalation.
“We heard no threats of harm from the students,’” the six professors wrote. “ … We write today to correct the record about the threats of harm, clear property damage and unwillingness to engage in discussion.”
This comes after pro-Palestinian protesters staged a sit-in inside the reception of the president’s office on the second floor of Parkhurst. The sit-in lasted approximately four hours, and protesters left at 6 p.m., when the building closed for the evening.
“We are disappointed in the narrative you offered to campus,” the six professors continued. “It does not match the totality of what happened yesterday afternoon, and we fear that it will further alienate the administration from the students in a moment when so much good will [has] been restored.”
The six professors are anthropology professor Sienna Craig, religion professor Christopher MacEvitt, sociology professor Janice McCabe, geography professor Abigail Neely, history professor Naaborko Sackeyfio-Lenoch and English and creative writing professor Melanie Taylor. None responded to a request for comment.
In the email, the professors acknowledged that they were not present for the beginning of the protest.
“We acknowledge that we were not in Parkhurst during the first moments of the occupation and therefore cannot comment on what happened during that time, which is the bulk of what you provide in your message,” they wrote.
The professors also described respectful negotiation between protesters and administrators.
“Throughout the time we were in Parkhurst, there remained a sense of mutual understanding, if not agreement,” they wrote. “At no point did we fear for our safety.”
However, in their email, Hudak and Ramsey made clear that the protesters’ behavior was not acceptable at Dartmouth.
“This represents a significant escalation of protest activity on campus,” the two wrote in the email. “Freedom of expression and dissent are strongly and broadly protected by Dartmouth policies. Occupying spaces, interrupting the operations of the College; threatening harm; or any activities that result in injury or property damage are not.”
The house professors pushed back against this characterization and wrote about the history of sit-ins as a form of protest at Dartmouth.
“We also urge you to reconsider your characterization of the protest as ‘unacceptable,’” they wrote. “As you all know, disruption is an important component of protest, as is locating protests at visible, strategic and symbolic locations. The students’ actions were aligned with a long tradition both on and off campus.”
College spokesperson Jana Barnello defended the deans’ initial email in a statement to The Dartmouth.
“We believe the content, tone and the language in the message from deans Anne Hudak and Eric Ramsey accurately reflects the behavior witnessed. These incidents were reported through verified witness accounts and photographs,” Barnello wrote. “We’re grateful for the professors and staff who helped efforts to de-escalate and have dialogue that resulted in the group leaving Parkhurst without involving police.”
Charlotte Hampton is the editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth. She hails from New York, N.Y., and is studying government and philosophy at the College.
She can be reached at editor@thedartmouth.com or on Signal at 9176831832.
