SU places 23 students on interim suspension, some related to Quad gathering
Corey Henry | Senior Staff Photographer
The university said the incident on the Quad could have caused enough damage to end residential learning and shut down campus.
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Syracuse University placed 23 students on interim suspension Thursday for violating the university’s fall semester health guidelines. Some of the students were involved in a large gathering Wednesday night on the Quad.
Over 100 SU students, some without masks, gathered Wednesday night on the Quad and violated social distancing orders. SU announced Thursday that the incident may have caused enough damage to shut down campus.
The 23 students are on interim suspension for their connection to the Quad gathering and other “actions that were in violation of the Code of Student Conduct and the Stay Safe Pledge,” officials said in an SU News release on Thursday. It is unclear exactly how many of the students were suspended in response to the Quad gathering.
“This gathering was foolish as it put these individuals, their fellow students and our ability to remain on campus in jeopardy,” Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado and Dean of Students Marianne Thomson said in the release. “We will not tolerate anyone putting the health, safety and well-being of our campus and the Syracuse community at risk.”
SU’s Stay Safe Pledge outlines a list of expected health behaviors for students to follow for the fall semester. The pledge requires students to wear a mask at all times, maintain social distancing and limit gatherings to 25 people or less.
Students who host an off-campus gathering that violates the Stay Safe Pledge could be suspended or expelled, Maldonado and Thomson said. If the gathering is on campus, students will be removed from campus housing and risk suspension or expulsion. Those who attend gatherings could be subject to “substantial disciplinary action,” the officials said.
The university will continue to investigate the incident on the Quad, and any participants that can be identified will go through the student conduct process, Maldonado and Thompson said.
“Our ability to remain here is directly dependent on the behavior and actions of our students,” they said. “There is so much at stake for each member of our community—do your part.”
Published on August 20, 2020 at 10:32 pm
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