Over 400 CUNY Law Alumni Stand with Fatima
To the Dean of CUNY School of Law, the Board of Trustees and the Chancellor of the City University of New York:
The undersigned CUNY alumni stand in solidarity with Fatima, a graduate of CUNY School of Law who has been targeted by hate following her delivering of a commencement speech this year. We are public defenders, family defense attorneys, immigration attorneys, prisoners’ rights attorneys, tenants’ rights attorneys, labor and employment attorneys, policymakers, and community members engaging in work across the city and state in pursuit of social justice.
We write to request that the Statement from the Board of Trustees and Chancellor of the City University of New York posted on the CUNY website on May 30, 2023 (May 30th Statement) characterizing her remarks as “hate speech” be withdrawn immediately and an apology issued to her and to the entire student and alumni body. Without these actions, our trust and respect for this institution will have been irreparably compromised.
As CUNY alumni, we are deeply concerned both about the law school’s inaction in protecting a student at a time when her safety and well-being is at risk, as well as by the actions of the Board of Trustees and Chancellor that actively worsened the harm caused. We are appalled that any student — let alone a student who has spoken at the behest of her classmates — would be put in danger without any action or statement of support by our law school.
The law school claims to be an institution that stands “united in the belief that only when the world can see the full range of human experience reflected and represented in the law will we have justice for everyone.” In total conflict with this purported mission, CUNY’s disregard for the student, her experience, and her humanity is unacceptable and unconscionable.
The Statement from the Board of Trustees and Chancellor of CUNY claims that the student’s remarks were a “public expression of hate.” To the contrary, her words — naming the harm and violence caused by NYPD, by ACS, by ICE and CBP as well as by Israel’s violent occupation and apartheid system — were not only protected First Amendment speech, but also resonated with many of us both personally and professionally in our work. We are appreciative and proud of her call for social justice. To see her words distorted and characterized as hateful by the Mayor and the New York Post is reprehensible, but to see this further affirmed by CUNY’s Board of Trustees and Chancellor is an affront to all of us. The attack on this CUNY student is also a shameful example of the vilification of students in educational institutions around the country who support Palestine or are critical of Israel.
We implore CUNY law to stand with Fatima, and we add our voice to the demand from CUNY faculty for the Board of Trustees and Chancellor to withdraw their statement and issue an apology immediately and the demand from the CUNY Law Jewish Students Association to support and defend its student body.
We also stand with the supportive statements and asks from Within Our Lifetime, Palestine Legal, Center for Constitutional Rights, National Lawyers Guild, Jewish Voices for Peace, and Adalah Justice Project in her defense and in the defense of students to organize in support of Palestine.
Signed,
Aaron Amaral
Aaron Samsel
Abigail Ramos
Adam Edwards-Rivera
Adam Shoop
Adina Marx-Arpadi
Akeem Barnes
Alaina Chlebek
Alanna Doherty
Albert Hor
Aleena Khan
Alejandra Collado
Alek Asamoah
Alex D. Smith
Alex Franco
Alex MacDougall
Alexander Maltezos
Alexandra H. Smith
Alexandra Reese
Alexandra Rockoff
Alexandria Nedd
Alfia Agish
Ali Nininger-Finch
Alissa Hull
Alyssa Couture
Amanda Doroshow
Amanda Jack
Amanda Katapang
Amanie Akarah
Amber Eden
Amber Ramanauskas
Amitai Heller
Amy Armstrong
Amy Leipziger
Amy Robinson
Amy Taylor
Andrea Alajbegovic
Andrea Costello
Andrea Natalie
Andrea Parejo
Andrea West
Andrew Adams
Andrew Sta. Ana
Angel C. Melendez
Angelica Razack-Francis
Angelo Pinto
Anna Andel
Anna Burnham
Anna Kim
Anna Maria Stebbins
Anne Leonardo
Anthony Bauth
Anthony Hawkins
Anthony Posada
Antonia Bruno
Ariana Smith
Ariel Federow
Arielle Adams
Arlene Rodriguez
Ashley Grant
Avi Rudnick
Ayah zaki
B Taylor
Barsha Hamal
Beena Ahmad
Belkys Garcia
Benjamin J. Cruz
Benjamin Meyers
Beth Rennekamp
Brad Parker
Breanne Chappell
Brett Dolin
Brian Ehrenpreis
Briana Deutsch
Bridgette Bissonnette
Bright D Limm 임대중
Bronyn Heubach
Caitríona Fox
Caroline Tenesaca
Cassandra Kelly
Cassie Fleming
Cassie Hazelip
Catherine Austin
Christian Harned
Christopher H. Fitzgerald
Claire Stottlemyer
Colleen Campbell
Colleen Normile
Connor Mealey
Cristal Enriquez
Cristina Castro
Cynthia Conti-Cook
Dale Melchert
Dan Gunnells
Dana Northcraft
Daniel A. Pena
Daniel Teitell
Daniel Thaler
Daniela Crespo
Dannelly Rodriguez
Danny Kirchoff
David Eisenstein
David Gribben
Davida Silverman
Dean Spade
Deisy Flores
Diana Aragundi
Dorien Ediger-Seto
Drew Haste
Ebette Fortune
Eileen Choi
Elana Gold
Elana Redfield
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Ellen Rosenberg
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Fahd Ahmed
Farah Diaz-Tello
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Filaree Moore
Frankie Herrmann
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Joshua Carrin
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