UPDATE Friday, May 29, 2026

Recent social media posts and interviews alleged that the District Attorney’s (DA) Office had been in contact with the College, and that the College has the ability to have the charges dropped. Those statements are false.  

On Friday, May 29, the College spoke with the DA’s Office to understand where those statements may have come from. It was the first time the College had been in contact with the DA’s Office since the arrests in May 2025.  

During the conversation, the DA’s Office confirmed the following:

• Contrary to what’s been posted on various social media accounts, at no point did the DA’s Office indicate to any of the individuals charged in this case that they were discussing the matter with the College, nor did the DA’s Office state that the College could have the charges dropped.
• Since the beginning of the case, the DA’s Office has offered each of the individuals who face misdemeanor trespassing charges the opportunity to drop the charge to a summary offense. If the individuals chose that option, they would avoid a trial and face only a fine, with no criminal record. (A summary offense is roughly the equivalent of a noise violation.) 
• In other words, the individuals have the option to drop the misdemeanor trespassing charges themselves. 
• The individuals continue to decline the offer and have instead chosen to pursue a trial. The DA’s offer to drop the charges to a summary offense remains.
• The DA’s Office stated it has no particular interest in pursuing a trial, and that multiple similar instances related to protests have resolved in similar dispositions. However, given that the individuals have declined to choose alternative resolutions, such as the summary offense option noted above, the DA's Office is obligated to move forward. 
   

May 28, 2026 1:45 p.m.

Over the past few weeks, various individuals and groups have increased the circulation of information on social media and elsewhere about an encampment on campus last spring, which ultimately led to misdemeanor trespassing charges against one Swarthmore student, a former student, and seven other individuals with no known affiliation with the College. These recent efforts to draw attention to that situation, some of which contain misleading or inaccurate information, often include a call to action urging Swarthmore College to “drop the charges” against these individuals, and have led to questions and confusion within and beyond Swarthmore’s campus community.

The facts below are intended to help answer questions from the community, address the misinformation and disinformation that continues to circulate online, and clarify where the situation currently stands. 

The College is not a party to these cases and has no standing to “drop the charges.” As you’ll see below, the one Swarthmore student involved, along with a former student and seven other individuals who have no known affiliation with the College, had numerous opportunities to avoid the third-degree misdemeanor trespassing charges they now face, just as the vast majority of others who participated in the encampment did. They’ve also had several options to resolve the case after their arrest, but they chose to proceed with a trial to resolve the misdemeanor charges. 

The facts do not support claims that the College is attempting to suppress or silence free expression. There have been more than 100 acts of protest or activism on campus over the past three academic years, and only a small fraction of those have resulted in allegations of Student Code of Conduct violations.

Swarthmore values and supports individuals’ rights to express their views and engage in peaceful protest and dissent. But those rights do not extend so far as to infringe on the ability of other students, faculty, and staff members to fully engage in the life of the campus, nor do they give license for protesters to disrupt the essential operations of the College. As President Smith has stated on numerous occasions, being willing to face the consequences of one’s actions is an important tenet of civil disobedience.

Here is a detailed account of the circumstances: 

• On April 30, 2025, protestors established an encampment on campus, which is a violation of the College’s policies.
• The organizers, who included members of what was at the time a suspended student group, Swarthmore Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), used social media to urge people from beyond campus to join the encampment. Their efforts were successful; at one point, the group grew to about 50 individuals, the majority of whom concealed their identities with masks and refused to provide any identification, which is also a violation of College policies. 
  • SJP’s affiliation with the College has since been permanently revoked.
• The social media activity drew the attention of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, who contacted the College out of safety and security concerns. 
• Numerous members of the Swarthmore College community, including students, faculty, staff members, and parents and family members of current students, reached out to the College’s leadership to say they felt threatened by the encampment, including those whose status as non-U.S. citizens put them at a particular and significant risk. Despite sharing that information with the protestors, they persisted. 
• On Tuesday, May 1, 2025, staff members discovered that College property taken to create a physical barrier around the encampment was vandalized, including the Big Chair, which was covered with graffiti containing statements that celebrated violence and promoted hate. 
  • President Smith condemned the actions in a message to campus. 
• Over the course of three days, the College informed the protestors (the majority of whom remained disguised) multiple times, verbally and in writing, that if they did not leave, they risked facing trespassing charges.
  • In an effort to bring the encampment to a peaceful resolution, some faculty members also tried to engage with individuals at the encampment, but those efforts were largely unsuccessful. 
  • To encourage individuals to leave, the College issued interim suspensions to students who could be identified.
• The encampment persisted. The College faced a situation in which disguised individuals refused to identify themselves, talk with College staff, or leave campus. They continued social media campaigns to invite unknown individuals from outside of the community to join the encampment. Other students, their families, and faculty and staff expressed mounting concern about the encampment’s implications for their own safety and security. Given the circumstances, the College felt compelled to seek assistance from the Swarthmore Borough Police Department to end the encampment. 
  • Given their small staff and the number of protesters, Swarthmore Borough Police enlisted neighboring police departments to ensure the safety of both the police and the protesters.
• Even as police arrived on campus on the morning of May 3, 2025, College officials made one final in-person plea for the protestors to leave or face trespassing charges. 
• By then, the overwhelming majority of individuals who participated in the encampment chose to leave.
• One Swarthmore student, one former student, and seven other individuals unaffiliated with the College chose to stay, and they did so with full understanding of the possible consequences.
• They were arrested and ultimately charged with third-degree misdemeanor trespassing.
• The College is not a party to these cases and has no standing to “drop the charges.”
• Since the arrest, each of those individuals has had the opportunity — and still has the opportunity — to choose alternative paths to resolve the charges without a trial.

Early Friday morning, approximately six individuals in full disguise committed hundreds of acts of vandalism on campus. The incidents occurred over the span of about 30 minutes. The vandalism mainly consists of pro-Palestinian messages and symbols, as well as language targeting the College’s Board of Managers, spray-painted on buildings, trees, fences, walkways, and other areas of campus.

Staff members in Environmental Services, Grounds, and Facilities are working diligently to address the damage, but the vandalism is so extensive and widespread that it will likely take days to remove it all. In some cases, such as on trees and certain building materials, remnants of the vandalism may remain for an extended period of time.

The College has not yet identified the individuals responsible or determined whether they were Swarthmore students. The investigation is ongoing.

Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith condemned the vandalism in a message to campus on Friday. She wrote, in part: "What happened overnight does not define who we are. The vandalism reflects the actions of a few people who chose destruction over engagement and anonymity over accountability. The Swarthmore community I know and of which I am proud is the one engaged in intellectual and creative pursuits in the classroom, lab, and studio. In pushing boundaries in performance spaces and athletic fields. In contributing to this community dedicated to educating individuals prepared to build a better world around them. That work will continue today, tomorrow, and in the days, weeks, and years ahead."

Read President Smith's full message.

On Friday, April 10, a small group of approximately 15-18 protesters held a rally on campus protesting ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. While the majority of the protesters were fully masked, we have reason to believe that at least some of the individuals involved have no affiliation with the College.

A video of the event circulating on social media shows part of the rally during which the protesters seem to chant, among other things, support for violence against soldiers involved in the conflicts. Swarthmore College unequivocally condemns this rhetoric, along with any celebration or glorification of violence. If the College determines that the behaviors from Friday’s rally violated College policy and can identify the individuals responsible, they will be held responsible. 

Protests on campus have long been a forum for the exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives, which is central to the College’s mission of educating individuals to lead meaningful, productive lives in a complex, global society. That sometimes leads to encountering and engaging with views that are deeply offensive, or even abhorrent.

At the same time, in keeping with the College’s commitment to foster an inclusive community that embraces intellectual curiosity and mutual respect, Swarthmore seeks to promote dialogue built on a foundation of empathy, grace, and compassion that serves to bring us together, rather than deepen our divisions. 

The community will learn from this as we have from other challenging times: with care and conviction, bound by our shared belief in the transformative power of an education and our collective ability to serve the common good.  

On Feb. 20, 2025, the student organization Swarthmore Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) was placed on an interim suspension due to numerous alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct (Code). While on interim suspension and throughout the pending conduct process, SJP continued to engage in behavior on several occasions that allegedly violated the Code.

During this same period, the group began to act anonymously, with no student claiming or acknowledging an affiliation with the organization. The College repeatedly attempted to contact SJP organizers through various email addresses they’ve used in the past to address the allegations and resolve the interim suspension, but those efforts went unanswered. After multiple attempts to include SJP student representatives in the process failed, the College ultimately could only move forward without their participation.

In accordance with the Code, the matter was referred to an independent external adjudicator. The external adjudicator examined the facts and determined that, based on a preponderance of the evidence, SJP was found responsible for multiple Code violations, including: Bullying and Intimidation; Disorderly Conduct; Discrimination, including Harassment based on a Protected Class; Failure to Comply; Fire Safety; Retaliation; Property Damage; Unauthorized Entry or Access; and Unauthorized Use of College Resources and College Services. 

As a result of the findings that SJP caused repeated and serious harm to the Swarthmore community, SJP’s affiliation with the College has been revoked, which is a sanction under the Code.

This outcome means that Swarthmore SJP is prohibited from accessing College funds, scheduling or hosting events on campus, or accessing any other College resources available to student organizations. Additionally, other student organizations are prohibited from co-sponsoring, acting on behalf of, or affiliating with Swarthmore SJP in any manner. 

Several College community members have inquired about a fundraising campaign purporting to raise money for a student’s financial aid. While the College cannot comment on a specific individual’s circumstances, it is important to note that some of the emails and social media posts promoting the campaign contain information that is misleading or, in some cases, plainly false.

False Allegations
Some individuals accuse the College of revoking or reducing financial aid for underserved and underrepresented students. Those claims are false. Financial Aid decisions are made each year based solely on specific financial information provided to the College by students and their families. The College provides loan-free financial aid to make up the difference between the demonstrated need and the cost of attendance. 

The College has also been accused of weaponizing financial aid to retaliate against students who participate in campus protests and act as organizers. This, too, is patently false. As stated above, financial aid decisions are based solely on specific financial information provided to the College by students and their families.

Financial Aid Facts
Swarthmore College has one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country, meeting the full determined need of every student who applies for aid. During the 2024-25 academic year, the College provided more than $60 million in loan-free financial aid to nearly 55% of the student body. 

While the cost of attendance has increased dramatically over the past 20 years, the average cost for a student on financial aid to attend Swarthmore is nearly the same today as it was in 2004. During the same period, the College has increased the average financial aid award by approximately 227%, from about $22,000 in 2004 to more than $72,000 per aided student last year.

Not an Isolated Incident
In the past two to three years, multiple fundraising efforts have claimed to raise money to support a student attending Swarthmore. While some of those claims may be legitimate, we have observed a pattern in which some individuals and groups sharing information about those campaigns do so using a false narrative, including by providing misleading financial details or financial information that differs from what was submitted to the College during the financial aid application process.

The College actively works to identify the source of such disinformation campaigns and stop their dissemination. We urge individuals to consider the legitimacy of such campaigns before donating to ensure they are not doing so based on false pretenses.

On Feb. 6, 2025, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adopted a new Participation Policy for Transgender Student-Athletes. The policy went into effect immediately. As a result, a transgender student-athlete at Swarthmore was unable to represent the College in certain NCAA competitions. On Aug. 14, that individual, now an alumna, filed a lawsuit alleging that the College, several employees, and the NCAA violated Title IX. 

Swarthmore deeply values our transgender community members and the many ways they enrich campus life. We offer numerous resources to create a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment for transgender individuals.

We recognize that this is an especially difficult and painful time for members of the transgender community, including student-athletes. We worked to support this alumna in a time of rapidly evolving guidance, while balancing the ability for other members of the women’s track team to compete in NCAA events.

Given the pending litigation, the College will not comment any further at this time.