Case Western temporarily withholding degrees for some protesters

CLEVELAND (WJW) – Mike Grimms was set to get his doctorate from the School of Law at Case Western Reserve University.

“It’s actually not expected in the sense that Friday I went back to campus to pick up my regalia for graduation,” said Grimms.

Monday morning, Grimms learned he was flagged as “Persona Non-Grata” through an email for his involvement in the pro-Palestinian encampment.

“There’s an interim hold on my degree and the PNG order means I can’t come back to campus, can’t participate in any commencement or graduation ceremonies, which my mom was not psyched about,” said Grimms.

University President Eric Kaler promised he would immediately begin the student conduct process when the encampment ended Friday morning.

The university confirms they are temporary withholding degrees and banning those students from university property until the process is completed.

The school said in a statement, “This action follows repeated warnings from Kaler to those remaining in the unsanctioned encampment and later, to those blocking access to Adelbert Hall.”

“The other extra hurdle to this is the longer it takes for my degree to get conferred to me, the longer the Ohio Bar is waiting to approve me to sit for the bar in July,” said Grimm.

Grimms said so far, around 30 students have been flagged.

“For people with summer housing, I don’t know what that means for them. People with a student visa,” said Grimms.

University officials said they’ve also “issued notices to third parties who were involved with the protest, prohibiting them from campus.”

Meanwhile Grimms said his formal conduct hearing is set for Wednesday.

“I have a lot of issues I want to raise. Sure, there is a conduct policy, but are we dealing with the First Amendment at all? What about the new expression policies that have come up since the encampment went up?” said Grimms.

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