Middlebury College on Monday caved to demands from student protesters to call for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza—but not for the release of the remaining hostages held there.
In an agreement struck with pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who had set up an encampment on the school’s main green, Middlebury president Laurie Patton issued a statement condemning "the destruction and debilitation of educational institutions" in Gaza as a result of the carnage.
"We call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence," Patton wrote on behalf of the Middlebury administration. Though she mentioned in passing the Israeli hostages in Gaza, she did not call for their release or acknowledge they are being held by Hamas, whose name does not appear in the statement.
Middlebury did not respond to a request for comment.
The one-sided statement comes as Middlebury, one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country, is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for allegedly discriminating against its Jewish students, some of whom filed a federal civil rights complaint against the school in February.
The complaint contains a laundry list of examples of the school treating Jewish students differently from their Muslim or Christian peers. Shortly after Hamas’s Oct. 7 rampage, for example, Middlebury sought to purge a vigil for the victims of any references to Judaism, suggesting it would be "more inclusive" to include language about "all the innocent lives lost." The school eschewed that "inclusive" approach one month later when it approved a "Vigil for Palestine" hosted by Muslim students, which began with an Islamic prayer and included remarks from Middlebury’s top diversity officer, Khuram Hussain.
Other examples of bias include the college’s refusal to approve more than one Jewish student group despite recognizing at least six different clubs for Christian students.
Patton’s statement on Monday could thicken the school’s legal morass while empowering the activists who have created it. Beyond calling for a ceasefire, the college agreed to let students meet with trustee to "discuss investment practices"—even though the school does not invest in arms manufacturers—and to "explore avenues to host all students in the region displaced by war and violence."
It also promised "new forms of review" for faculty hires from Israeli institutions, according to a press release from encampment organizers. That concession was part of a comprehensive deal struck Sunday between the college and the campers, who have since claimed victory and taken down their tents.
"We’ve secured everything that we are going to get out of the negotiating," Oliver Patrick, a student at Middlebury who participated in the encampment, told VTDigger.
Middlebury has agreed not to discipline the protesters, they said in their press release, and police were not called to clear out the tents. The agreement followed a week of back and forth with protesters as the administration held "listening sessions" to "better understand their concerns," according to a May 3 update from Patton.
"Given the volatile national situation," Patton wrote, "we decided to focus on our educational mission and dialogue with the students."
The decision to negotiate and in large part cave to the protesters has helped the school avoid one nightmare scenario: Unlike Columbia and the University of Southern California, which cancelled their graduation ceremonies amid the unrest, Patton said Monday that "everyone and their families" would be able to enjoy Middlebury’s commencement.