Resolution Regarding Student Protesters

BACKGROUND

United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) has long advocated for a $15/hour minimum wage in New Jersey. On December 12, 2017 they held a peaceful, but disruptive demonstration at a Board of Trustees meeting in Trayes Hall. As a result of their actions, the meeting of the Trustees had to be canceled. While in no way excusing the actions of these students, our concern is with what the appropriate response of the University should be to such actions. In this case, disorderly person charges were brought in Municipal Court against 12 students by the Rutgers Police. We believe that this response by the University is excessive.

RESOLVED

We recommend that discipline and punishment for actions such as those of the USAS members on December 12th be handled internally. We urge that the disorderly person charges against these students be dropped.

Approved unanimously by the New Brunswick Faculty Council, 20 April 2018