Metro Council Members Criticize Arrest of Reporter, Support Student Protesters at Vanderbilt University

Metro Council Members Voice Disapproval Over Arrest of Reporter and Show Support for Student Protesters

Nashville, March 29, 2024

In response to recent events that involved the arrest of a Nashville Scene reporter and the suspension of student protestors at Vanderbilt University, members of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County stepped forward to express their concerns in a series of letters. District 20 Councilmember Rollin Horton and Councilmember at Large Zulfat Suara penned letters directed at Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, urging him to uphold the core values of free speech and press and expressing support for the student protestors.

The incidents that sparked these letters occurred during an estimated 22-hour sit-in at the university’s administrative building, Kirkland Hall, staged by the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition (VDC). The protest was against the decision to remove a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) referendum from the Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG) ballot. The referendum proposal had been put forward by the VDC to align the VSG’s constitution with the BDS movement. However, university administrators removed the proposal over spring break, citing it may lead to legal issues.

Upholding Freedom of Speech and Press

In the first letter, Councilmember Rollin Horton, along with 19 other council members, urged Chancellor Diermeier to respect Vanderbilt University’s significant societal role in Nashville and to prioritize the protection of the freedom of speech and press. “As a prestigious institution of higher learning situated within our community, Vanderbilt University plays a significant role in shaping the values and discourse of our city,” the letter stated. Horton also reiterated in an email to the university’s student newspaper, The Hustler, the city’s unwavering support for journalism and free expression and implored the university to do the same.

Supporting Student Protesters

The second letter, written by Councilmember at Large Zulfat Suara and co-signed by 10 other council members, called for a meeting to be arranged between the Chancellor and the Metro Council. Suara’s letter emphasized, “Things seem to be escalating quickly and beyond simply a few students feeling disgruntled. Not allowing the students to vote on this matter is undemocratic.” The letter called for the suspension of protesting students to be repealed and all related legal charges to be dropped. Suara also voiced his concerns, stating that students who have nowhere else to go should not face legal consequences for their actions on a campus where they pay tuition.

Vanderbilt University’s Response

In response to the immediate criticism following the arrest of the Nashville Scene reporter, Eli Motycka, the university issued a statement indicating plans to review campus media policies and its commitment to uphold freedom of press. In addition, the statement also promised an investigation into whether the arrest decision was in alignment with the university’s core principles. However, the university has yet to respond to either of the letters sent by council members Horton and Suara.

Motycka, in a message to The Hustler, stressed the importance of student journalism amidst the apparent restriction of the press, stating, “My arrest…[is] antithetical to a free, open, and democratic society. Vanderbilt’s current climate of hostility toward the media makes what The Hustler does within campus even more important.” As the Vanderbilt community awaits for official responses to each of the letters penned by both council members, student journalists continue to monitor closely all developments in these controversial issues that affect the university community.