UC Berkeley Suspends Lecturer Who Went On Hunger Strike In Support Of Gaza: Report

BERKELEY, CA — UC Berkeley administrators have suspended a lecturer over pro-Palestinian comments they made during a class, according to a report by The Daily Californian.

Peyrin Kao, a lecturer in the university's electrical engineering and computer science department, was suspended without pay and will not teach at the university next semester, according to the report.

In a memo obtained and published by The Daily Californian, administrators accuse Kao of violating university policies during the spring 2024 semester by using his classroom to "share and advocate political views" about topics that weren't related to the computer science course he was teaching.

The memo also comments on Kao's hunger strike earlier this year, in which he went 38 days without eating to bring light to issues in Gaza. It says Kao again violated university policy when he talked about the strike during his class.

UC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Benjamin E. Hermalin suggested in the memo that Kao be suspended for "no less than one full semester" and that he wouldn't be opposed if administrators pursued further disciplinary action, including firing Kao.

Jessica Conte, a field representative for UC-AFT, the union that represents lecturers on campus, told The Daily Californian that it plans to file a grievance as the suspension was made “without any standard of just cause.”

Read more from The Daily Californian.