Vanderbilt student calls 911 to report denial of 'right to change tampon' during occupation of chancellor's office: WATCH
Several students at Vanderbilt University were arrested and placed under suspension after occupying the chancellor's office building to protest the cancelation of a boycott, divest, and sanction campus-wide vote.
Several students at Vanderbilt University were arrested and placed under suspension after occupying the chancellor’s office building to protest the cancelation of a boycott, divest, and sanction campus-wide vote.
According to The Tennessean, around 30 students began to occupy Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier’s office on Tuesday to protest the cancellation of a vote to change the student government constitution. University administration canceled a campus vote on a proposed change to the student government constitution, which would have prevented student government funds from going to businesses that work with Israel.
The sit-in protest began at 9 a.m. on March 26, when members of the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition forcefully entered Kirkland Hall, according to the Vanderbilt Hustler. Security video from the building shows protesters shoving an individual to gain access inside.
A Vanderbilt spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the security video in a comment to Campus Reform.
NEW: Yesterday Vanderbilt students pushed their way into a campus building to conduct a sit-in in the lobby of the chancellor’s office: pic.twitter.com/2HXQ6Md1Y2
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) March 27, 2024
Video posted to Instagram by VandyGenAction, a group that also participated in the sit-in, shows a student calling 911 to report her friend being denied the “right to change her tampon.”
”There is currently a female student who is denied the right to change her tampon that has been in multiple hours, which leads to an increased risk of toxic shock syndrome,” the student says.
”Ma’am, do you have an emergency?” the 911 operator responds, while trying to determine if the student is requesting an ambulance.
UPDATE: some of the students seem to be panicking.
They called 9-1-1 because they’re worried one of them could go into toxic shock.
They’re also worried she’ll be arrested if she leaves the building. https://t.co/U08EzaYLG2 pic.twitter.com/NrXAQvuxeu— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) March 27, 2024
A separate video posted by the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition shows a protester on the verge of tears arguing with police over whether the student in question would be arrested if she left to change tampons.
In an Instagram post, the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition said that protesters were “peeing in bottles” and “using banners for privacy.”
16 protesters told the student newspaper they received “interim suspensions” from Vanderbilt administrators.
[RELATED: Columbia student group panics amidst House investigation into school’s anti-Semitism]
25 students were forced out of the building at around 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning by Vanderbilt University police officers.
A Vanderbilt spokesperson told Campus Reform it values free expression while defining “time, place and manner limitations.”
The spokesperson told Campus Reform that a group of students physically assaulted a Community Service Officer” to gain entrance into Kirkland Hall and “proceeded to push staff members who offered to meet with them.”
”Student Affairs staff took a graduated approach to de-escalate the situation. First, they asked students to leave. After the students refused to leave, staff made them aware their actions violated university policy and that they would be subject to disciplinary action. After several hours, the university began issuing interim suspensions. Students on interim suspension must leave campus immediately and may not return until further notice, pending the Student Affairs review process,” the spokesperson said. “This is an evolving situation, and we will keep our community informed as there are new developments.”
