Brown reinstates suspended Students for Justice in Palestine chapter
Brown University has reinstated its chapter of the anti-Israel student group, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
The university previously found the campus chapter of SJP responsible for violations of the university’s Code of Student Conduct after a protest in October 2024.
Brown University has reinstated its chapter of the anti-Israel student group, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
The university previously found the campus chapter of SJP responsible for violations of the university’s Code of Student Conduct after a protest in October 2024. The violations related to unacceptable behavior during a demonstration on Oct. 18, 2024.
During the protest, there were reports of protesters “screaming profanities at individuals,” and using a “racial epithet directed toward a person of color.”
“Consistent with sanctions for Brown student organizations like SJP with no prior record of discipline and appropriate to the behavior for which violations were substantiated, multiple sanctions were imposed on the group,” Brown spokesperson Brian Clark confirmed to Campus Reform.
Following an administrative review meeting with the group’s leaders, the chapter was found responsible for both violations. Now, the suspension will be terminated and the group will be on probation.
“The SJP chapter at Brown University is on probation through the end of the 2025-26 academic year (June 1, 2026),” Clark told Campus Reform. During this time, the chapter will be considered not in good community standing and faces restrictions on holding or participating in events, with limited exceptions for internal meetings or university-organized activities.
The organization may hold a limited set of registered events after Nov. 1, 2025, if it demonstrates responsible behavior. Public promotion of events by other groups is prohibited until Jan. 21, 2026.
Two SJP members, Kenan Zaidat and Matisse Doucet, described their experiences of the suspension to The Brown Daily Herald.
“We could not do anything as an organization for many months, which was frustrating, to say the least,” Zaidat said.
When asked about identifying students in a video of the initial protest, Doucet said that a lot of students “didn’t really feel comfortable” doing so. “It felt unsafe for a lot of international students or folks who might not have secure visa statuses,” Doucet added.
Campus Reform has reported about the recent returns of other SJP chapters to campus life after they received suspensions for violating university policies.
George Mason University’s SJP chapter, for instance, posted a recruitment video declaring continued resistance after a 2024 suspension.
Authorities had found weapons and Hamas/Hezbollah propaganda at organizers’ homes. The university says SJP completed its suspension, and the group can reapply for recognition as a student organization.
Similarly, last month a federal judge ordered the University of Pittsburgh to reinstate its SJP chapter. The group had been barred after a December 2024 protest.
The ACLU represented SJP, arguing the restrictions unlawfully limited recruitment and free speech.
Campus Reform has contacted Brown University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
