Boston College is facing criticism over its protest policies after pro-Palestinian students said they had to wait more than two months for approval to demonstrate on the Chestnut Hill campus.
The college’s student newspaper, The Heights, first reported that administrators required organizers to disclose exactly what would be said at their demonstration, then demanded some content be removed from those planned speeches, including certain chants some Jewish students consider antisemitic. The university warned that deviations from the approved messaging could result in disciplinary action.
Laura Beltz, director of policy reform at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, argues Boston College and other universities should relax restrictions on student protests.
“It certainly makes sense for them to ask for some events to be scheduled in advance, but there should be opportunities for these small groups to be able to conduct activities spontaneously,” Beltz said.
She called BC’s policy “draconian” and said it stifles student speech.
“We have a group that requested a protest in November and only were able to schedule it 80 days later,” she said. “So this is unreasonably restrictive process for students.”
In a statement to GBH News, BC spokesperson Jack Dunn denied administrators intentionally delayed approval.
“Students are required to provide basic information about their demonstration plans, and any failure to do so delays the University’s reasonable review,” he said, adding that part of the delay was because of BC’s monthlong winter break.
The dispute is unfolding as the Trump administration pressures colleges to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests and alleged antisemitism, threatening federal funding cuts if they don’t comply.
Last week, the federal government withdrew $400 million from Columbia University over its handling of antisemitism allegations. Over the weekend, immigration officials detained a Palestinian student at Columbia and transferred him to a facility in Louisiana.
On Monday, the U.S. Education Department sent a letter to 60 colleges, including Emerson, Wellesley and Middlebury, warning they could lose federal funding if they fail to enforce the administration’s directives.
Michael Brickman, an adjunct fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former Education Department staffer during Trump’s first term, supports the administration’s crackdown.
“Now that there might actually be some consequences, it seems like [colleges] are shifting gears,” Brickman said. “But it’s probably a little bit too late.”
Higher education officials are already bracing for potential funding cuts. Harvard announced on Monday a hiring freeze , joining MIT, the University of Vermont and many other schools facing similar pressure.
While academic leaders argue the Trump administration is threatening one of the nation’s vital industries, Brickman dismissed that claim as “utter nonsense.”
“Each of these elite institutions have billions and billions of dollars,” he said. “They have made major mistakes. They’ve allowed some of their employees to foster a hostile environment for students on campus, and there are consequences for that.”
Beltz said the level of policy changes after the protests of the past year are unprecedented, and colleges are in a tough spot.
“I think that there’s a bit of premature compliance with the current administration,” she said. “The First Amendment has not changed.”
