March 28, 2013 - Today, the Center for Constitutional Rights and other civil rights organizations wrote to administrators at the Claremont Colleges in southern California to express concerns about harassment of a Palestinian student and the repression of Palestinian human rights advocacy on campus. Recently, during a mock Israeli checkpoint performance, a professor from Claremont McKenna College cursed at a Palestinian student and called him a "cockroach." The term has been used in several historical contexts of genocide, including Rwanda, to dehumanize and justify violence against an enemy population. Rather than investigating the professor's behavior, Claremont McKenna college responded to the incident by investigating Students for Justice in Palestine for alleged violations of campus rules. The unwarranted investigation further chills student speech in favor of Palestinian human rights. The letter emphasizes Claremont Colleges' obligation to protect student speech rights, and protect all students from racist speech, including Arab, Muslim and Palestinian students.

To read the full letter click here.