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findings that SJP caused repeated and serious harm to the Swarthmore community, SJP’s affiliation with the College has been revoked, which is a sanction under the Code.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