With so many colleges and universities around the country caving to the demands of protesters, it’s refreshing to see some sanity prevail at The Ohio State University, where school administrators refused to give in to the usual demands: ‘divest from this, invest in that, and stop all the oppression.’
“Dr. Drake will never receive a list of demands and he will not negotiate with you,” Ohio State Vice President Jay Kasey said, delivering a message from the school's president.
Kasey explained that if the protesters illegally ‘occupying’ the administration building refused to leave in the morning there would be serious consequences.
“If you refuse to leave, then you will be charged with a student code of conduct violation,” Kasey explained. “If you are here at 5:00 a.m. we will clear the building and you will be arrested.” He added, “We will give you the opportunity to go to jail for your beliefs.”
“What do you mean by ‘clear the building?’” one student asked.
“Our police officers will physically pick you up and take you to a paddy wagon,” he responded. “The people who work in this building should be protected also.”
The safety and security of staff is of utmost concern, he explained, and the University will not let protesters “scare” employees who have a right to work in a safe environment without interruption and intimidation.
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The protesters pushed back, insisting they were peaceful and they didn’t scare anyone, but Kasey was having none of it.
“We told you, and all we can do is be honest with you. If you’re still here at 5:00, our current philosophy is, we are going to take you out — escort you out of the building and arrest you. You will be discharged from school also,” he said.
Confused by the word “discharged,” one student asked for clarification.
“Expelled,” Kasey responded.
The exchange is definitely worth watching in its entirety—it’s a wonderful example of a university treating adults like adults, instead of like snowflakes. And guess what happened as a result? All of the occupiers left the building by 12:30 a.m.
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