Diversity, equity and inclusion office rescinds award from Pro-Palestinian group after public criticism from university president

Photo Collage by Emily Paris, Photo Editor

A social justice award was revoked from Chapman’s pro-Palestinian student group after Struppa publicly condemned the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office’s decision.

In late January, President Daniele Struppa sent a campus-wide email to the Chapman community communicating his personal disagreement with the decision from the Office of DEI to grant the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award to Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP at the 3rd annual awards ceremony. The message came two days after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

“Our university has been committed to fostering healthy debate and discussion, and we have worked to support all of our students,” said Struppa. “But there is a significant distinction between fostering free speech and bestowing an award.”

Struppa made the argument of maintaining “the spirit of Dr. King’s approach” in his email, saying that the actions taken by the club members have not been in alignment with the teachings of the award’s namesake. He also made a point to emphasize his support of the school’s free speech policies — which have been a spotlighted topic at Chapman recently — and apologized to Jewish students on behalf of the university.

“I wish to offer to all those offended by this action and, in particular, our Jewish students and their families my sincere apology on behalf of the university,” Struppa said in the conclusion of his email.

When asked for further comment, Struppa told The Panther, “my statement already contains all I had to say on this issue.”

Soon after Struppa sent the email out, a group of faculty members came together to sign a response to Struppa’s email, in which they “deeply object” to the president’s decision to publicly dismiss the award bestowal.

“Your castigation distorts Dr. King’s legacy, threatens free speech, and flattens the pluralism of Jewish students and faculty,” states the faculty response. “Dr. King himself was widely condemned as a radical and an extremist for engaging in nonviolent civil disobedience, much as SJP is criticized today.”

The message, which has been signed by 53 faculty members as of Feb. 9, critiques Struppa’s apology to all Jewish students and families, citing the Chapman Jewish On Our Own Terms club as an example of how Jewish students hold many political opinions and pointing out that a quarter of the students on the SJP leadership board are Jewish. the message says. 

“There is nothing inherently antisemitic about critiquing Israel, as pointed out by 370 scholars; for many Jews, solidarity with Palestinians is a form of Tikkun Olam, the Jewish precept of making the world a better place,” states the faculty response.

Among the signed faculty are both active and retired professors, instructors and a former dean of the Leatherby Libraries. 

“As faculty, we refuse to be silenced and remain adamantly committed to Chapman’s mission of educating students towards ‘inquiring, ethical, and productive lives as global citizens,” closes the statement. 

Following the events of Struppa’s email, the DEI office rescinded the award, according to Reginald Stewart, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.

SJP has maintained an active presence on campus in response to the conflicts in Gaza. Last spring, the club and its supporters set up an encampment on campus that lasted two weeks before an agreement was made with administration regarding divestment from companies associated with aiding in the war against Palestine. Weekly walkout protests were also in place, including chalked messages and chanting, which sparked tension and had students questioning the campus’ free speech guidelines.

“We've been attacked by the school as a whole for our actions,” said Myth Moos, a senior philosophy and political science double major and co-president of SJP. “It is definitely an overreach of power, and it goes against (Struppa’s) priorities as a president because he alienated a significant group of students.”

This conflict comes at a time when diversity initiatives at universities across the country are being struck down by Trump’s anti-DEI administration. Some colleges are adapting to avoid losing funding, while others are remaining firm in their education systems.