The University of North Carolina is under fire for a decision by instructors to withhold grades from students until the school reinstates individuals suspended for participating in pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
Reports confirmed that professors were refusing to submit grades until the administration ended suspensions of students involved in the demonstrations. A screenshot of a professor’s message to students about holding grades hostage was shared by a local radio host in North Carolina.
In solidarity with the suspended students, the unnamed teacher stated that they, along with other faculty members, teaching assistants, fellows, and graders, had decided to withhold final grades submissions to the Registrar’s Office.
UNC-Chapel Hill Provost Chris Clemens and Graduate School Dean Beth Mayer-Davis acknowledged the reports and expressed concerns about students facing negative consequences due to the withholding of grades. They emphasized the importance of timely grade submission for graduation, employment, and athletic eligibility.
The university administration stated that they would support sanctions against any instructor found to have improperly withheld grades and hoped to resolve the situation without causing harm to students. The controversy led to demands for the firing of instructors participating in the grading protest, although the names of the instructors were not disclosed.
In response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus, a fraternity at UNC defended an American flag torn down by protesters, leading to a fundraising campaign to reward them with a party. The demonstrations drew national attention, and arrests were made, with faculty petitioning for the reinstatement and amnesty of suspended students.
Similar protests have been reported at numerous universities, prompting decisions to cancel or modify graduation ceremonies. Activists have been preparing for these demonstrations for months, receiving funding from left-wing groups associated with the Communist Party.
The situation at UNC is part of a larger trend of campus protests against Israel’s actions, with connections between student organizers and far-left groups involved in the anti-Israel movement.
