Final Report on the Events of February 21 and Next Steps

Dear Campus Community,

Thank you for your patience and cooperation over the last several weeks as we have undergone an investigation into the events that resulted in the cancellation of the Susan Resneck Pierce lecture on February 21, 2024. The events that evening were unprecedented at Puget Sound and caused great harm for some members of our campus community. We engaged in this investigation as a necessary step to help us reflect and learn how the university can better serve as a forum to engage in difficult conversations productively and safely, and how we can continue to be a community of learning and sharing that is open to different perspectives. It is now, and has always been, our aim to provide outstanding educational experiences for our students and for those who engage with our campus from the community, while providing a safe and inclusive environment for all who engage with the University of Puget Sound, consistent with our values and mission as a liberal arts institution.

I am writing today to inform you that Davis Wright Tremaine (DWT) has completed their investigation and to provide you with access to their final report, which includes a factual summary of the events along with their findings of potential policy implications, conclusions, and prospective actions for our consideration. The report is comprehensive and is based on input from faculty, staff, administrators, students, and external community members. I encourage you to review it in its entirety.  I want to thank those of you who participated in this process and shared your experiences with investigators so that DWT could complete a thorough, comprehensive, and objective report inclusive of a variety of voices and perspectives.

We asked the investigators from DWT to review the events that occurred on February 21 in and around Schneebeck Concert Hall that led to the cancellation of the 2024 Susan Resneck Pierce Lecture and to also conduct a review of the university’s safety planning process for the lecture and the protest planned for that evening. The investigation was done in a time-sensitive manner so that we could promptly consider and learn from the events and initiate any necessary operational, educational, restorative, and/or corrective actions and next steps.

There are opportunities for institutional improvement. We know we can do better. The report gives us good recommendations regarding opportunities to improve our practices related to safety training and communication regarding campus events, educational opportunities for the full campus community, as well as a forthcoming review of relevant university policies regarding speech and protests to ensure they still comply with current legal and professional standards applicable to private institutions of higher education. The university, in partnership with DWT, has already begun working on these issues and I will continue to share updates as I have them.

The investigators also determined that based on available information, the actions of some students, staff, administrators and a student group may have violated university policies.  Those individuals are in the process of being contacted and will be engaging in the appropriate disciplinary, restorative and/or corrective processes to determine if there are any findings of responsibility or violations. Resolutions for any determined violation of policies, codes, or community standards will consider and may encompass educational outcomes, restorative practices, or disciplinary sanctions, and we are committed to considering the range of resolution options. Please remember that confidentiality protections for faculty, staff, administrator, and student information will prevent the university from sharing any individual outcomes.

There is therefore much work to do ahead. As I’ve shared before, this is a difficult time at our institution, in our country, and across the globe. It is a time when we must continue to value one another, listen to each other’s perspectives, and continue to learn from one another – particularly as we are experiencing increased polarization on many issues. Indeed, this is the work of a university – to promote civil discourse, continue to be a beacon of education, to create safe spaces to share and explore diverse perspectives, and to learn how to work together in a changing world. There is much to be learned from these events that will help us strengthen the campus and work together to move this great university and our community forward.

We continue to recognize the adverse and ongoing effects from the violence and escalating conflict taking place around the world and the campus events on February 21. I want to remind all members of our campus community that we have multiple counseling and support services available to faculty, staff, administrators, and students needing assistance. University Chaplain Dave Wright (dwright@pugetsound.edu) and Senior Director of Intercultural Engagement Miriam Chitiga (mchitiga@pugetsound.edu) are available to meet with any campus member seeking support. Students may also schedule an appointment with Counseling, Health & Wellness Services (CHWS) or access real-time counseling support through UWill with their @pugetsound.edu email. Faculty, staff, and administrators can always contact the Employee Assistance Program if they wish to speak with someone outside the university.

Thank you again for your understanding as we thoughtfully engaged in this process. We want to get it right, and we will continue to follow our processes to reach equitable resolutions so that the university can move forward with shared trust and support for how campus events and protests can successfully and safely take place. We will keep working to do better.  For additional information, please see my previous communications to the campus community on February 22, February 26, March 18, and March 22.

Sincerely,

Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President