Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Liberate and Unite New Orleans Students for a Democratic Society.

On February 17th, Loyola student and SDS member Carson Cruse was informed by the university that his suspension appeal was denied and he has been suspended from the university effective immediately until May 10, 2025. Carson initially received his suspension on December 13th, 2024, for enacting his right to free speech by calling out Sharonda Williams, the General Counsel of Loyola and Port of New Orleans board member for her being complicit in genocide, supporting genocide, and punishing anti-genocide protestors.

Following this news, Carson appealed his suspension and was allowed to attend classes. However, he has just been informed by the university that his appeal was denied, and he will not be allowed to graduate in May. This has pushed Carson’s graduation date back by a year. This is an unprecedented attack on free speech at Loyola and obvious repression by the university as revenge for his presence in the Popular University for Gaza encampment. The university is cracking down on student activism and trying to scare away students from protesting against them through suspensions, sanctions, and rewriting the student code of conduct to make it easier to punish political opposition.

Carson is an amazing student, organizer, beloved community member, and a staunch advocate for human rights. He has done so much for the university and this attack on his academic success is a disgusting flex of power by the university.

Loyola University is complicit and actively involved in the genocide and oppression of the Palestinian people through their support of Israel. Punishing innocent students, suppressing their right to free speech, and supporting genocide goes against the university’s supposed Jesuit values and is a disgrace to their job as “protectors” of their students.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SDS