#NotAgainSU staged a walkout Thursday afternoon to reissue their calls for the resignation of four Syracuse University administrators.

The protesters met in the lobby of Huntington Beard Crouse Hall at 1 p.m. before relocating to the steps of Hendricks Chapel, where they had strung a large sign between two pillars that read “Bye Kent” in black and red letters. After initial remarks from the movement’s organizers, protesters marched to Crouse-Hinds Hall to deliver letters of resignation to Chancellor Kent Syverud, Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado, DPS Associate Chief John Sardino and Dolan Evanovich, senior vice president for enrollment and student experience. 

#NotAgainSU has set a Jan. 13 deadline for the administrators to vacate their positions at SU on account of their mishandling of race-relations at the university for several years, an organizer said. There will be consequences if the university officials do not resign by that time, the protester said. 

“These people are extremely incompetent with their positions, and we know they are not able to carry out the change that we want to have,” they said. 

Chris Johnson, associate provost for academic affairs, met the protesters outside of Crouse-Hinds. An organizer handed him the resignation letters and requested he deliver them to Syverud, Maldonado, Sardino and Evanovich. Afterward, the organizer thanked all those in attendance and wished them luck on their final exams, concluding the walkout.

After delivering the letters, a protester said they want representatives from #NotAgainSU to be part of the committee that selects Syverud’s replacement. 

#NotAgainSU, a black student-led movement, has protested the university’s response to a series of racist incidents that occurred on and near SU between Nov. 7 and Nov. 21. Syverud signed 16 of the protesters 19 demands as written on Nov. 21 and revised the remaining three, but the movement continues to call for his resignation. 

#NotAgainSU also placed banners in the Shaffer Art Building and Sims Hall. Elizabeth Billman | Asst. Photo Editor

SU issued a statement Thursday afternoon that disputes #NotAgainSU’s claim that the group did not negotiate with Syverud at a forum held Nov. 20 in Hendricks Chapel. Organizers said Syverud has yet to meet with students leading the protest during a Q&A held in Bird Library on Wednesday night.

“To imply the Chancellor and other University leaders have not met with members of the #NotAgainSU movement is disingenuous and patently false,” said Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president for university communications, in the statement. 

After hundreds of students walked out of the Hendricks forum, several #NotAgainSU protesters remained and later met with Syverud in the chapel basement. The students discussed and accepted revisions to their original list of demands, Scalese said. 

Later that night, members of #NotAgainSU told Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keith Alford they did not accept Syverud’s response.

“Let me be clear, the University did – in good faith – listen to our students, heard their concerns and worked to meet the group’s needs,” Scalese said. 

The chancellor was not on campus at the time of the walkout, according to a #NotAgainSU organizer. 

In addition to the sign on the Hendricks Chapel steps, #NotAgainSU also placed banners in Sims Hall and the Shaffer Art Building. 

Earlier this morning, a small group of #NotAgainSU protesters were denied entry to Crouse-Hinds Hall when they visited the building to hang protest posters. Organizers were originally told the building was under lockdown. Classes were relocated, and only SU officials were allowed to remain in the building. 

In speeches on the steps of Hendricks Chapel, one organizer denounced DPS for denying their entry to the building and for taking down posters they had placed around campus. SU issued a statement Thursday morning that said posters and flyers can only be placed on bulletin boards, not interior and exterior surfaces. 

The organizer said the movement’s actions were peaceful and did not warrant a forceful response from DPS, adding the lockdown created an unnecessary panic among students and faculty. 

“DPS wasted resources taking these posters down instead of finding the perpetrators of these racist hate crimes,” they said. “It’s disturbing that, as someone who pays tuition here, I was not allowed in a university building. That’s pure, explicit discrimination.”

“I don’t like being painted as a threat to this campus, and being dehumanized on a daily basis. That’s really hurtful,” they added tearfully. 

Published on December 5, 2019 at 2:55 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu