AUSTIN (KXAN) — Four University of Texas at Austin students say they are fearful of expulsion after protesting, among other things, the November dismissal of two teaching assistants in the School of Social Work.
The students say they were engaging in a “peaceful protest” on Dec. 8 by hand-delivering a letter with a list of demands – including the reinstatement of the TAs – to UT Austin’s Dean of the School of Social Work Allan Cole. According to a press release provided to KXAN by the students’ attorney, Cole would not listen to the students and left the room. The press release said the students left immediately “without incident” after the dean left.
According to a lawyer representing the students, the grounds for punishment include “disruptive conduct, unauthorized property entry, failure to comply, and a mysterious unspecified violation of ‘Local, State, or Federal Law,’” read the release.
Following the Dec. 8 demonstration, the university put out a statement saying, “protesters crossed the line of acceptable behavior and violated University rules multiple times this week. We will not tolerate disruptions to the teaching and research activities of our students, faculty, and staff; our campus; or events. We are investigating and will punish those found to violate our rules, policies, or the law.”