NYU Student Bar Association prez ousted after pro-Hamas statement
Student Bar Association (SBA) members voted 707-428 to oust Workman via an online vote that took place between Nov. 15 and Nov. 22.
Ryna Workman, the New York University Student Bar Association President who made headlines in October after issuing a newsletter message to all NYU Law students blaming Israel for the terror attacks it endured at the hands of Hamas on Oct. 7, has been removed from her position.
Student Bar Association (SBA) members voted 707-428 to oust Workman via an online vote that took place between Nov. 15 and Nov. 22.
“We elected Ryna Workman to that prestigious role to lead in the best interest of the student body. They egregiously misused their platform and instead served their own personal interest and soapboxed as many students were still processing the horrific things we were seeing out of Israel on October 7th,” NYU Law student Cole Kauffman, who voted to remove Workman, told The New York Post.
“Somebody who can’t see beyond their own perspective isn’t fit to lead a diverse constituency and doesn’t deserve the distinction of being the President of the SBA at NYU Law,” Kauffman added.
Just days after the attack, Workman (they/them) published a statement in the NYU Student Bar Association email newsletter, outright refusing to condemn Hamas, and placing “full responsibility” on the state of Israel itself. The message closed with the statement “Palestine will be free,” and was attributed to Workman
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“This week, I want to express, first and foremost, my unwavering and absolute solidarity with Palestinians in their resistance against oppression toward liberation and self-determination,” the message read. “Israel bears full responsibility for this tremendous loss of life. This regime of state-sanctioned violence created the conditions that made resistance necessary. I will not condemn Palestinian resistance,” it added.
On Oct. 11, law firm Winston & Strawn LLP announced that had revoked an employment offer to Workman based on her “inflammatory” message, calling her comments “profoundly in conflict with Winston & Strawn’s values as a firm.”