At Portland State, decision to place faculty member on leave over Hamas comments adds to charged campus climate
Portland State University President Ann Cudd’s decision to open an investigation into a faculty member who was captured on video self-identifying as a member of Hamas during a recent demonstration has magnified a still-yawning divide on the downtown campus over the conflict in the Middle East.
The issue burst into the spotlight there 13 months ago, when the school’s Millar Library was occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters, who holed up inside the building for several days before Portland police removed them.
The university spent $1.2 million fixing the damage to the library, a building that sits at the center of a campus where more than 40% of students are the first in their families to go to college and more than 50% are students of color. Meanwhile, of the 30 or so protesters arrested, many saw their cases dismissed due to procedural violations, while others were resolved at trial or through plea deals, with no punishment beyond probation.
In the meantime, Portland State was one of five universities nationwide — including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley — initially targeted by the Trump administration in February over allegations of antisemitism run rampant. The list of universities under investigation has since grown to include dozens more.
https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2025/06/at-portland-state-decision-to-place-faculty-member-on-leave-over-hamas-comments-adds-to-charged-campus-climate.html
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Saying "I am Hamas," is not a form of protest, it's giving terrorists aid and comfort.
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