Rittenhouse No longer Enrolled In Classes At ASU

TEMPE, AZ — Kyle Rittenhouse, the teen acquitted in the 2020 shooting deaths of two men in Wisconsin, is no longer enrolled in classes at Arizona State University, according to an ASU spokesperson.

During Rittenhouse's trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he said he was enrolled in online nursing courses at ASU as a non-degree seeking student. An ASU spokesperson confirmed that Rittenhouse had enrolled in classes staring on Oct. 13, just weeks before the start of his trial on Nov. 2, according to a report from the Phoenix New Times.

But Rittenhouse enrolled in classes without ever going through the official admissions process, and was no longer enrolled in any classes as of Monday, a university spokesperson told Patch.

Rittenhouse told NewsNation that he dropped his classes because of the stress of the trial, but plans to enroll next semester.

Rittenhouse was on trial for shooting and killing two men and injuring another during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August 2020. The protests were in response to the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man left partly paralyzed by the shooting. Federal and local investigators cleared the officer who shot Blake of any wrongdoing.

Rittenhouse was acquitted Nov. 19 of all charges after saying throughout the trial that he shot the men in self-defense.

Several ASU student groups are still planning on Wednesday to protest Rittenhouse's enrollment at the university based on his plans to re-enroll. Sponsoring organizations for the protest include Students for Socialism ASU, Students for Justice in Palestine, MECHA de ASU, and the Multicultural Solidarity Coalition.

A representative of Students for Socialism ASU described the involved groups as, "anti imperialist organizations committed to fighting back against fascism on campus."

In fliers for the protest, organizers say, "Even with a not-guilty verdict from a flawed 'justice' system - Kyle Rittenhouse is still guilty to his victims and the families of those victims."

The fliers also describe Rittenhouse as a "bloodthirsty murderer."

Rittenhouse was acquitted of first-degree reckless homicide first-degree recklessly endangering safety, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26.

Rittenhouse was also acquitted of attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting that injured Gaige Grosskreutz, now 28.

The organizers demand that Rittenhouse be withdrawn from classes and that funding for ASU Police be redirected to the campus Multicultural Center.

The protest is planned for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday outside of the Nelson Fine Arts Center on the Tempe campus.