Two resident assistants were fired on April 14 for alleged involvement with campus protests, according to one of the fired RAs and a spokesperson for the Emerson College RA Union.

“Three weeks ago, these students were given multiple charges, including ‘vandalism’ for allegedly pasting stickers on the outside of an Emerson building,” the representative wrote in a statement to The Beacon. The Beacon has independently verified the identities of the two RAs; one agreed to speak with the paper anonymously out of fear of retribution. 

One of the terminated RAs who is a senior student at Emerson received notice of their firing on Monday. Housing and Residential Education officials told them they’d have to vacate their room no later than April 22—less than two weeks before the semester officially ends on May 2—and after that, they’d lose access to their on-campus housing and meal plan.

In paperwork verified by The Beacon, the student was found responsible for violating campus demonstrations policies, campus posters policies, and vandalism, unauthorized alteration, or damage of college property.

“Students are not disciplined for the content of their speech or beliefs,” the college wrote in an email statement to the Beacon. “The College cannot comment on specific student employment information, job actions, or conduct decisions. All student disciplinary actions are the result of direct policy violations.” 

In an interview with the Beacon, the student said that HRE administrators removed them from the position after calling them to a series of meetings with different officials across the college’s disciplinary offices. The parties discussed their alleged participation in a protest action in February organized by students affiliated with Boylston Students for Justice in Palestine, and put them on probation. 

They appealed the decision on the basis that the officials were operating off of “biased reporting and racial discrimination” used in identifying them as a student protestor, the former RA said. Their appeal was denied.  

“I was told in the denial that a fair process was followed … I was not given an explanation,” the student said.

A performance concern meeting was held after their appeal was denied a month and a half after the alleged incident. They stated that they were notified of the change to their disciplinary standing and this triggered a change to their standing as an RA. 

The former RA said that HRE told them last week that they were still gathering information about their case and that they had no update for them. Then, on Monday, they received an email requesting an urgent meeting. At the meeting, two HRE administrators sat across from them and told them that they were being terminated.

“There were no formalities. The first and only thing they stated was that I was being terminated,” they said. “They could not wait two weeks. Having to vacate by April 22 when the semester ends on May 2 is just cruel. This is very reflective of the fact that they do not view us as students, they view us as workers.”

A post made on Instagram by Boylston SJP and EURA on April 14 alleged that the students’ termination was related to pro-Palestine protest action on campus. EURA has since removed the post from their profile.

“Now, these students, one of whom is weeks from graduating, will lose not only their income, but their housing and access to food,” the caption of the post read. “For the majority of RAs, the role is more than just a job—it is their ability to attend this institution.”

“​​The College wants to be clear that no student has been denied access to campus housing as a result of an employment change,” the college wrote in the statement. According to a college spokesperson, students who lose their RA position can continue to live in on-campus housing “at a pro-rated cost” or move off campus. The college also said that the students’ meal plans, which are included with room and board at Emerson, are included in the pro-rated price. There is also a seven-day period for resolving housing following employment termination, a condition “negotiated with and agreed upon by the RA union.”

After the arrest of 118 people in the 2 Boylston Place Alleyway in April last year, the college released interim expression and demonstration policies that restricted the time, place, and manner of campus expression. Violation of such policies can result in disciplinary action, including termination from an RA position, per Emerson’s community standards.

The student said that the way progressive discipline is written within RA contracts is such that any change to their disciplinary status, depending on how severe they view the violation, can result in termination.

They explained that HRE does not directly deal out community standards violations, but that if a student violates them, they can be placed on probation, which puts them at risk of being terminated, on account of being unable to fulfill their role as RA.

“A lot of times, RAs that are in these positions are the most vulnerable,” they said. “It is students of color, it is international students.”

The Instagram post also alleges that at least one resident assistant from six out of the seven residential communities have received disciplinary summons, including four out of the seven union stewards.

HRE did not respond to The Beacon’s request for comment.

“This is going to bring up a lot of fear, and that is the exact point,” the former RA said. “They want people to stay in line. If it can happen to me right now, it can happen to anyone.”

Merritt Hughes is the deputy campus news editor at The Beacon and a resident assistant. Hughes was not involved in the writing or editing of this story.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with more information about college-provided room and board cost conditions included in the resident assistants’ union contract.