The College deeply appreciates the patience and resilience that Kenyon students, staff and faculty have displayed during the last 24 hours as some students engaged in protests that exceeded the bounds of our peaceful protest policy and violated our core values of mutual respect. At Kenyon we value openness, honesty and civility, and we respect the views of others, even when we may not agree with them. Yesterday and today, strikers entered college buildings to disrupt official college meetings, damaged campus property, and engaged in behavior toward staff that they considered threatening and intimidating. That behavior is not consistent with our policies or values.
We want you to have the facts.
Late this morning, several strikers entered the Gund Gallery with a megaphone, where they disrupted an information session underway with students admitted to Kenyon’s Class of 2025. These actions were deeply intimidating to both our guests and admissions staff, who called for assistance. Campus Safety followed their usual protocol. They ensured that the strikers had left the building, and allowed them to continue their protest outside, where strikers have been protesting without interference for several days. Because some strikers had taken their strike activities inside a building and into a college meeting, conduct that is not lawful or allowable, and because they appeared to be moving to engage in misconduct at another admissions meeting at the Kenyon Inn, Campus Safety officers followed protocol by documenting the event and asking strikers who had engaged in the misconduct to provide identification. Some strikers today also engaged in threatening conduct toward Kenyon staff and damaged an exterior door of the Office of Campus Safety.
Claims that Campus Safety officers threatened students with arrest are simply false. Campus Safety acted appropriately to protect the safety of our students, staff and prospective families, while respecting the rights of peaceful protesters.
At Kenyon, we respect all community members’ rights to peacefully protest for any lawful reason. Both the spirit and the letter of our policies expect that all members of the community — both students who may be striking, as well as students, faculty and staff who continue to work and use College facilities — will be treated with respect and common decency.
Prepared by the Office of Communications
April 29, 2021