Three students in Ohio Youth for Climate Justice await hearing Friday for “unreasonable disruption”

Nicole Nowicki
Fri, 22 Mar 2024 01:13:44 +0000
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Three students in Ohio Youth for Climate Justice were formally charged and await hearing for “disorderly or disruptive conduct” under the student code of conduct after protesting an an All Staff Wellness Event at the RPAC on Jan. 25. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio Youth for Climate Justice.

Three students in Ohio Youth for Climate Justice, a statewide organization that advocates for environmental justice, were formally charged following a protest at an All Staff Wellness Event at the RPAC on Jan. 25, according to the organization.?

According to an Instagram post from the group, the hearing will take place Friday. Isabella Guinigundo, a fourth-year and co-communications director for the group, said this follows multiple demands for the university to drop the charges against the three students and support free speech on Ohio State’s campus.?

Akithma Ferdinandez, a third-year and co-communications director for the group, said the organization gathered over 700 signatures from students and faculty urging Ohio State to drop the charges against the three students.?

“While we haven’t been able to get the university to respond to our demands, we have garnered a good amount of university support from its constituents, and I feel like that would be good evidence to show the university how many people are supporting this campaign,” Ferdinandez said.?

Though the university ignored these calls for the charges to be dismissed, Ferdinandez said the situation also showed the group how much community support they have behind them.?

“In the midst of all of that, there’s also been some hope because we’ve seen how we’ve been able to mobilize so many students against the university, and even though the university may repress us and may continue to resist our protests, we have so many people standing behind us. Eventually, I feel like if the university wants to show that they’re actually for their constituents, then eventually they will have to comply to our demands,” Ferdinandez said.??

According to university hearing procedures, hearings are “educational,” “not comparable to a trial” and lack “legal rules of evidence.”?

According to 3335-23-12 hearing procedures, the university uses a preponderance of evidence standard, meaning that the university only has to find that it is more likely true than not that the student violated student conduct, as opposed to the probable cause standard used in criminal courts, which holds a standard of beyond reasonable doubt.?

During hearings, students are presented with the charges they are faced with and are asked whether they are “responsible” or “not responsible” for the university policy violations.

The students were “demanding that OSU cease all investments in fossil fuels and [I]sraeli apartheid & settler colonialism” as they began shouting minutes after university President Ted Carter Jr. walked on the stage. Carter, who served in the Navy, remained on the stage, listening to the students for over a minute before he responded to one of their claims.?

“I’m really proud that I wore the uniform for 38 years and had the honor of supporting the Constitution of the United States so that everybody can have a voice, so that everybody can speak their minds — can speak their opinion,” Carter said in response. “I’m proud that we allow this type of protest and this type of communication at The Ohio State University. I’m proud of this university. I’m proud that these folks have the courage to come up and say what they want to say, but this day is about taking care about each and every one of us and our wellness.”

Ferdinandez said this response feels ironic considering the charges the three student organizers are now facing as a result.?

“It’s honestly just very hypocritical because President Ted Carter actually said that he was proud that we were exercising our right to free speech, that we were able to do this, and allow this type of protest at OSU, and then kind of turns around and [puts] charges against our organizers, so it’s been very discouraging,” Ferdinandez said.?

According to Guinigundo, the three students received the initial summons hours after the protest relating to “unreasonably disruptive conduct.” This is under section 3335-23-04 (K) of Ohio State’s Student Code of Conduct, which regulates “[d]isorderly or disruptive conduct that unreasonably interferes with university activities or with the legitimate activities of any member of the university community.”

The organization declined to share further details on the students, who were only identified by first name —?Hannah, Yousuf and Jerry —?in an Instagram post detailing the disciplinary action.

Guinigundo said all three students attended a preliminary hearing and were notified in February that the university intends to carry out the disciplinary process. The members opted to have their case heard in front of the University Conduct Board, a group of students, faculty and staff that hears cases of students charged with nonacademic violations.