Statement on status of SJP

A recently-posted Instagram video from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) that has raised fears and alarm among members of the university community was taken down by SJP on September 2 at the university's insistence, citing its anti-discrimination policy.

SJP was suspended as a student organization last academic year, one of its leaders was expelled from the university, and two others were trespassed from campus until November 2028 after the university found them responsible for violating university policy as part of a university police investigation into acts of vandalism on campus. SJP has since reorganized on campus with different student leaders and, like all such student organizations, is subject to all university and student conduct policies. University officials recently met with SJP leaders to reiterate the institution's zero-tolerance enforcement approach.

The GMU Police Department has pursued its investigation into the August 2024 vandalism incident as far as the law allows, which included a home search of two leaders of SJP in November 2024. Despite these efforts, the Commonwealth's Attorney declined to file charges based on the evidence presented. While the statute of limitations on possible misdemeanor charges expired in August 2025, there is no statute of limitations on the felony charges that are relevant to the case.