Various posters on social media have featured a video of a graduating McGill University student appearing to spit on the Dean and another faculty member. She then produced a sign demanding divestment from Israel. As she appeared to spit on the President Deep Saini and the other faculty member, the audience can be heard cheering. The school later reportedly edited out the ugly incident and would not confirm that it will be taking any action against the student.
In the video, the student can be seen making the spitting gestures while wearing a keffiyeh and holding a sign that reads “Divest from death.”
The university did not deny that the incident was edited out and simply stated that “multimedia staff often cut to different angles during the livestream to focus on different aspects of the ceremony, which allows students and their families to celebrate an important milestone.”
The incident is only the latest such protest at graduations. In another protest recently (by an animal activist), interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber was hit by green glitter. Brittany A. Drake, the activist, pleaded not guilty to three counts of felony criminal charges.
McGill has not committed to seeking any discipline, let alone such charges, for the student.
The incident captures the breakdown of civility and respect at our institutions of higher education. This conduct has been reinforced by professors and administrators for years in pushing activism over academics. McGill students have declared that “free speech does not exist outside of its social context” and sought to strip professors of academic titles due to their holding opposing views. There has also been a lack of discipline for students who have engaged in the disruption of events and even classes.
McGill is notorious for objecting to such misconduct without taking any immediate action to sanction the students, including the recent disruption of a human rights professor.
McGill is one of the world’s finest universities, but it has shown little principle or courage in facing disruptive and disgraceful conduct in the past. Simply deleting the scene of the student spitting at the President will do little to address this trend. As academics, we need to reassert control over our campuses and stand firmly against conduct to disrupt events or classes.
Send her to Waziristan. They don’t let comfort girls spit.
Do not worry, she will get a job as a barista or waitress and she will be spitting in your coffee or food.
Spoiled brats! Expel them, commit to fighting them in court, and that’ll be the end of these childish antics. For those who are noncitizen, hand them their degrees, and then deport them! Somewhere, at some point, the faculty itself has to stop acting like children.
I wonder if the major changes in political leadership in Europe is an indication of things to come?!
It is chilling to see how far some ignorant students will go to curry favor with their ignorant peers. Pally radicalism is the new thing on campus and it has swept up all the cool kids. Employers will want to know who these kids are so they can avoid them like lepers.
I believe in the 1stA.
But did she actually spit on them? Or just pretend to?
If the former, stay classy.
If the latter, stay classy.
Regardless, she put on full display the content of her character for the whole world to see.
This little girl applied to this school, interviewed for this school, paid (or had paid for her) hundreds of thousands of dollars, matriculated for 4 years at this school, graduated from this school and now hates this school???
Do schools like this think that dropping SAT scores and other legitimate methods of deciding who is a fit for their institution really think that this is going to work out for them? Let’s ask the school one question: How much and how often do you think this alumna is going to contribute to the school? What will this girl do for the school’s reputation as she travels through he “career”?
This is why Harvard and other schools are reinstituting exam scores for entrance eligibility. This is why MIT and others are ending DEI statements. This is why Stanford just suspended and had the “protesters” charged as felons.
Publish this spitting loser’s name, let Mr. Google take it from here.
“ Publish this spitting loser’s name, let Mr. Google take it from here.”
HERE HERE!!! I couldn’t agree more with you, my friend. If you know of a way that some of us could spend our time, trying to locate this piece of scum’s name???? Please let me know. I am retired, therefore, I have all the time in the world on my hands…
I seriously want to locate this piece of garbage’s name, Physical address, And as much information on it as possible. I am seriously thinking about talking to a private detective agency in town that I know about… It needs to be fully exposed. GIVE IT NO REST. NO-QUARTER-GIVEN.
I don’t want her address, I don’t want any other information about her, I just want employers to know who she is so they won’t have her spitting at them whenever she is fired…which will be often.
You allowed this terrorist sympathizer to wear the keffiyeh during the graduation ceremony. Was that to avoid a bomb vest underneath the robe? Punishment needs to be swift and harsh. Should have started with security body-slamming her on stage.
Excellent start for a job search. Also, what a great way to get a point across and endear people to your cause. Such behavior is characteristic of a person who is radicalized. She would have fit right in with Squeaky Fromme, Leslie, Mary, Susan, etc. in the Manson family.
I believe Shakdi has it right. My generation (college 1966-1970) did the same thing to veterans who had fulfilled their obligations and responsibilities to the nation. It got so poisonous on college campuses that when I heard of the Kent State Shootings I actually thought, “finally some justice for our brothers in arms in the military”. I never had sympathy for them because they were not demonstrating peaceably, there were bombs and fires in ROTC buildings and many universities quit the ROTC and never reinstalled it.
My Dad, a veteran of WW2 and Korea would not condemn these campus crazies by simply saying ”I fought so they could have free speech”. I knew it pained him terribly to see this happen on the campuses of those days. But he was a better man than me.
I still have hate in my heart from the 1960’s.
I guess these crazies don’t keep up with current events because the AP (of all people) has recently reduced the estimated dead in Gaza by almost 50 % and has noted an even further drop of “civilian dead”. Apparently the numbers of the Gaza Health Authority don’t add up.
Imagine that.
I’d like to see her spit at one of the mulas in her own country who wouldn’t even let her attend grammar school. Yes, her own country, this is not her country!
The “spitting” gesture is common in middle Easter cultures. It’s a sign of disapproval. Just like holding a shoe up to the person you disagree with. The school did not act because there was no real spit involved. This is why there are only allegations and assumptions about what actually occurred. Students are always going to protest about an issue they find deeply personal. That’s never going to change. Students have turned their backs to faculty during commencement ceremonies to express their disapproval. All are all within the bounds of protected free speech.
Professor Turley wants civil and orderly disagreements and proper places and times to exercise them and that’s fine…for him. But reality does not bend to his preferred view. Protesting is always going to involve some form of disruption or upsetting of norms because that is the intent. It’s an effective way to gain attention and an audience. Nothing in the constitution says the exercise of free speech must be civil or orderly or only when it’s convenient for everyone. Conservatives like to use civility and order to censor or restrict speech they don’t like. It’s a poor excuse to avoids the dirty mess that is free speech. The proof is on this blog. For the past few days there has been an uptick in foul mouthed comments and personal attacks by one or two prolific posters. No moderator seems to be present and that makes it more difficult to have rational discussion. But, that’s the nature of true free speech.
This isn’t her culture…this is the US, where spitting is considered gross, disrespectful, and damned unsanitary. She can go back where she can see how well spitting works under her burka. Screw these people and the people who defend them.
It’s her choice. Spitting is a common insult here in the U.S. it’s in Italy, Greece, Latin america, and other countries. The insults don’t have to involve actual spit. Some are just the gesture of spitting. It’s called freedom of expression which is protected by the 1st amendment. As long as no physical spitting is done there’s not much the school can do.
If a person holds the very institution where they’ve chosen to attend with such disdain, why not expel them or deny them of their diplomas?
The University leaders seem to suffer from “battered woman” syndrome.
Because if it was just a gesture it’s protected speech under the 1st amendment. To retaliate for her expression would be a violation of her right to free speech. That’s why the school won’t so anything. She graduated and she’s done with school.
I saw it, she was very disrespecful looked like a Child throwing her tantrum. Her Parents must have been so Proud of her
Revolutions always eat their own. Universities seem to think they’re creating an army of students that will fight obediently for their twisted beliefs. The reality is they’ve created a monster they cannot control.
if I had a child that got out of line in school or in college???? Woe be unto him, or her. they would come to know what real pain is. Looking back on my own life, every time I received a whooping from my father, I truly deserved it. This piece of garbage deserves a severe whooping. And that’s just for starters she should not have been given her diploma.
I’ve been following the insane antics out of these pieces of garbage youth, On our college campuses now, for a number of years, here on Jonathan Turley’s Website. it doesn’t make me sad, or caused me to want to physically or mentally ring my hands. It does make me angry at the powers that be that run these halls of so-called, Higher learning.
I don’t know why in the hell the faculty members put up with everything that we see happening on college campuses. What in Gods name, are they so scared of??? are they scared of the students if they crack down severely???? Or, they possibly scared of the students parents??? Or parent????
For the life of me, I just cannot figure out why the presidents of college campuses put up with the antics that we see. What is it going to take for them to wake up????? is it going to take one of the faculty members getting murdered by insane students??? or is it going to take one of the female teachers getting brutally physically, raped and assaulted???? I don’t know what it’s going to take. But it’s quite obvious, that something has to give. Because we are on the border of something seriously happening, breaking out on one of these college campuses. I’m talking about something along the lines of a sizable group of male Students running through crowds randomly stabbing conservative type students????
Spit back. These are garbage human beings.
Spit back? I dont advocate violence typically, but if that is me, I’m stomping a mud hole in her ass. I would be the last person she though to spit on.
“ I dont advocate violence typically, but if that is me, I’m stomping a mud hole in her ass. I would be the last person she thought to spit on.”
Then proceeds to want to inflict a violent response. Hilarious.
Feckless presidents can now be found in every race, gender, profession, and political persuasion. Universities so specialize by hiring one after another.
Interesting post, and one, which I hope leads to consequences. Imagine for a moment said university Dean is infected with COVID, Aids, or some such because the uncouth person spitting on them is infected. Means deadly weapon in my view. Anyway, and along the same lines, in today’s NY Post (6/10/2024), there’s an article authored (above the fold and likely authored by a 20-something inexperienced in how the world works) calling for blood because an investment banker is photographed retaliating for a drink having been poured on him. No compunctions against calling out the person defending themselves employer in a transparent attempt to attain retribution, which leaves me wondering, was the author a friend and or somehow involved? Was it a setup? This, because the slant of the article is palpable. Be interesting if a followup disclosed this.
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/margaret_thatcher_153833?src=t_appeasement
Deport her to Gaza.
This is hilarious. After the libs spit on Vietnam Veterans and screamed baby killers, the spitting has come home to roost.