For Sara Almosawi ’25, the Fall 2024 semester was life-changing.
Almosawi was suspended by the University following her involvement in a Sept. 18 protest that shut down a career fair featuring defense contractors Boeing and L3Harris. According to her, the suspension, which was lifted on Dec. 3 before she received an alternate resolution on Feb. 3, caused stress that led her to develop a sinus infection and digestive issues so severe that she visited the emergency room for treatment.
“This process has put me through hell,” she said.
At least 15 students were suspended for participating in the career fair protest organized by the Coalition for Mutual Liberation — a pro-Palestinian umbrella group comprising over 40 campus and local organizations — during which over 100 activists banged drums and pans and confronted recruiters in the Statler Hotel. Several protesters pushed past police to enter the building.
Ph.D. student Sriram Parasurama was suspended and subsequently de-enrolled for his participation in the same Sept. 18 protest. Parasurama also pled not guilty on Nov. 6 to the Cornell University Police Department’s accusations of him shoving and resisting officers. A Sun analysis of video footage released by the University found that he was on the front line of the crowd, making contact with and pushing past CUPD officers.
Parasurama said that the University’s suspensions “don’t follow due process,” as they were imposed before the protesters received an administrative trial or hearing.
According to the Student Code of Conduct, suspended students have the right to review the evidence against them after a draft investigative record — a compilation of the investigation’s documents and interview transcripts — has been issued. At time of publication, the University has not issued a draft investigative record for Almosawi, according to her.
After reaching out to the University to respond to the suspended students’ claims that their disciplinary action was vague and lacked due process, The Sun was referred to a Sept. 30 statement from Interim President Michael Kotlikoff stating that “[suspended students] have clear process rights per the procedures of the Code. They are provided a written outline of the charges and rationale for the imposition of the temporary suspension, and instructions for how to appeal the decision.”
According to the Student Code of Conduct, students are given the choice to resolve their formal complaint of alleged prohibited conduct through an investigation, which allows the student to be heard and tried. They can also resolve the complaint through an alternate resolution that pauses or ends the investigation.
To receive an alternate resolution, the student is required to either accept responsibility for their alleged prohibited conduct or complete an agreed remedy, such as an apology letter, directed study or another form of “Restorative/Transformative Justice,” according to the Procedure for Resolution of Reports Against Students Under Cornell University.
According to Almosawi, Christina Liang, senior associate dean of students and director of the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, lifted her suspension on Dec. 3, and she is currently pursuing an alternate resolution.
Almosawi wrote in a text message to the Sun that it was “no coincidence” that her suspension was lifted following a string of on-campus tragedies in November, including a report of drugging and sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house, a student hiding under a female resident’s bed in William Keeton House, a student found dead in Fall Creek Gorge and the hospitalization of another student who fell in the same area.
“The limited resources of OSCCS and [Cornell University Police Department] were divert[ed] to these very public cases instead of protestor surveillance,” Almosawi wrote.
The University declined to comment about the reason for lifting student suspensions in order to “preserve the privacy of all individuals who may be involved in the case.”
Yihun Stith ’26 was also suspended for his involvement in the Sept. 18 protest. Stith accepted an alternate resolution on Jan. 17, which ended his suspension.
Like Parasurama, Stith also pled not guilty on Nov. 6 to criminal accusations of shoving and resisting CUPD officers at the entrance of Statler Hall, though a Sun analysis of video footage released by the University found that he pushed past officers.
Stith and Parasurama have both been issued an Adjournment Contemplating Dismissal — meaning they will receive a full dismissal of their charges after a period of time without further charges and with the completion of community service hours.
Stith said that the risk of being de-enrolled and the six-month duration of his investigation — throughout which students remain suspended — “cornered” students into accepting an alternate resolution.
“[The investigation] is meant to take a long time” and “mentally drain” students into accepting an alternate resolution instead, Stith said. He pointed to the “social isolation” of originally being one of four students who received “persona non grata” statuses for three years, meaning he would have been arrested for entering campus.
Parasurama said “a lot is weighing down on my shoulders” as he waits to hear back about his suspension’s impact on his fellowship with the National Science Foundation.
“There’s a decent chance that I’m not going to be able to finish my degree,” Parasurama said. “[It] just kind of throws all my life plans completely away.”
Despite his suspension and de-enrollment, Parsuarama said he will not stop his activism.
“It’s not just about showing up for Palestine but also showing up for our friends and our loved ones, Parasurama said. “I don’t think any sort of oppression is going to stop us from doing that.”
Yuhan Huang ’28 is a Sun staff writer and can be reached at yh2273@cornell.edu.
