San Jose U suspends faculty adviser of Students for Justice in Palestine | The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com | David Israel | 22 Ijjar 5784 – Thursday, May 30, 2024

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Sang Hea Kil, a law professor at San Jose State University and faculty adviser to the student organization Students for Justice in Palestine, was temporarily suspended last Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The suspension letter to Kil cited Article 17 of the collective bargaining agreement between California State University and the California Faculty Association as the basis for the disciplinary action. It states: “Pursuant to Article 17, you are suspended for reasons related to disruption of programs and/or operations, safety of persons or property, or an investigation for formal notification of disciplinary action.”

The letter also accused Kil of violating institutional policies by engaging in unprofessional and exploitative behavior toward students. Specifically, it alleged that Kil instructed students to violate university rules and engaged in bullying and abusive behavior and comments toward colleagues, both individually and as a group. The letter described Kil’s behavior as unprofessional and unbecoming of a member of the university community.

According to an April 25 email from the university provided to Inside Higher Ed, Kil was investigated after it was reported that she “engaged in conduct that disrupted the business of the university and encouraged students to do the same” during a protest in Sweeney Hall that appears to be the violent protests in February in which Kil and Students for Justice in Palestine protested the visit of the director of Jewish studies from another California State University campus, who had stated that the situation in Gaza did not constitute genocide.

In addition, an “amended notice of investigation” submitted by Kil also mentions a protest on May 8 “on and around the Smith and Carlos Lawn” on the university’s campus. The university is investigating Kil’s involvement in several protests and accuses her of disrupting operations and encouraging students to participate in disruptive actions as well.

The CSU Student Divestment Coalition, a group of students that advocates for colleges to end their financial support for companies that do business with Israel, attacked SJSU’s decision to suspend Kil, saying, “We demand that Dr. Kil be fully reinstated and that (Senior Associate Vice President Joanne) Wright take all necessary steps to reverse Dr. Kil’s suspension. In addition, we demand that SJSU take no further action against students or faculty who exercise their First Amendment rights.”