Help Cesar Overcome Unjust Hardship
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Cesar wrongfully pulled off the sidewalk and detained by pigs
Cesar's Story
My name is Cesar and I am a sophomore here at Purchase College. I am also a Black man living in the United States. I am no stranger to racism. Because of my identity I also feel the pain of my friends and community members who also come from marginalized backgrounds, such as my Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab classmates. Since October 7, many of them have expressed to me how unsafe they have felt walking around campus, so much so that they’ve had to resort to taking alternate routes on campus, even going through tunnels for their safety. They don’t feel like their safety is being looked out for by those in charge. I myself have been harassed many times on this campus because of my support for Palestine. I have been yelled at when I was wearing a Palestinian flag with the person screaming that Palestinians are bad people. I have been followed and questioned on whether I support terrorists. And more.
When Paul Nicholson decided to hang two banners that stated “We stand with Israel” posted on his windows for all of campus to see, my fellow classmates who have been mourning the loss of now over 24,000 Palestinians in Gaza, felt completely threatened and unsafe.
A staff member on their own campus was publicly proclaiming his support for the entity that has now murdered more than 24,000 Palestinians, including close to 10,000 children. Paul Nicholson isn’t just any staff member. He is the ombudsman of Purchase College, a resource that students are supposed to be able to turn to for help, for example if they are being treated poorly by a college employee, as the College website states. Am I supposed to go to Paul Nicholson, the man who assaulted me, to complain to him about how he assaulted me? Mr. Nicholson is not a safe resource. How are Palestinian students supposed to feel safe sharing their concerns with someone who proclaims his support publicly for the entity that is murdering their family and loves ones in Palestine? Mr. Nicholson is also the director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Merit Access Program (MAP), which is meant to help students succeed. How can Palestinian students and their allies trust someone like Paul Nicholson to have their best interest at heart when he is publicly proclaiming his support for an entity that is committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza?
Suny Administrator Assault's Cesar--- Watch Video
The banners that Paul Nicholson hung on his office windows were threatening to my classmates’ safety and security on this campus. Despite the College taking action many times to remove Palestinian flags and Palestinian shows of support around campus, which I have documented proof of, the College did nothing about this very public display of political support hanging on its campus. It did nothing to safeguard its Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students.
When I went into Paul Nicholson’s office on December 12, I only had one intention and that was to make sure my friends and fellow classmates could feel safe on this campus. I wanted to remove the banners that made them feel unsafe. That’s all. And that’s all I did. When I removed the banners, I was violently attacked. Paul Nicholson attacked me and pushed me to the ground. I did not attack Paul Nicholson and I did not fight back.
Following this, I was charged with physically harming Mr. Nicholson, I was charged with threatening, harassing, or intimidating Mr. Nicholson, I was charged with using physical force against Mr. Nicholson. The truth is that I was the one who was physically harmed, harassed, intimidated. The only thing I did was remove banners from the windows.
Listen to Cesar's Powerful Speach on his >> Instagram
As a Black man in this country and on this campus, it is not lost on me that I am painted as the aggressor even when I was the one attacked. Purchase College celebrates MLK Jr., hosts events during Black History Month, affirms the rights of its students to proclaim Black Lives Matter. But when it comes to ensuring that a Black student on its campus is protected and heard, the school’s support is nowhere to be found. Instead, the school turns me into the “bad guy.” With no repercussions whatsoever for the man who attacked me, a 20-year-old student. Do Black lives matter to Purchase College? No, they don’t. Mine certainly does not.
Out of all the charges I am charged with, the only thing I did was remove banners from windows. I did not physically attack or threaten or harass or intimidate or physically harm or abuse or coerce or detain Paul Nicholson. And I did not fail to respect ongoing legitimate functions of the College. When I asked in my initial meeting what “ongoing legitimate functions” meant, the examples I was given was nothing like what I did. I did not disrupt a class, I did not disrupt students taking a test, I did not disrespect any authorized College activity. The policies of Purchase College clearly state that banners are prohibited. There are no qualifications, they are simply forbidden. What Paul Nicholson did, hanging political banners of support on public Purchase College property, is not a legitimate or authorized function of this college.
The President of Purchase College, Milagros Peña, wrote an email to the campus following the removal of the banners, characterizing my actions as antisemitic. I want to be clear here, in case accusations of antisemitism are fueling any part of this student conduct process against me. What I did was not antisemitic. It is not antisemitic to act against a political entity. It is not antisemitic to express my anti- Zionist views. It is not antisemitic to stand against Israel and its genocidal actions in Gaza. I was not saying or doing anything hateful against Jews. Paul Nicholson had a sign celebrating Hannukah on his door. All I did was remove the political banners of support for Israel hanging from his windows.
If you don’t want to hear that from me, take it from my Jewish classmates who wrote on behalf of the collective Jewish community on campus, a petition in support of me, who explain very clearly that what I did was in no way antisemitic, and who explain that there is no justification for accusing me of an antisemitic hate crime and putting me on suspension.
I also urge you to read the words of the 17,500+ people who have signed a petition in support of me, who express how shameful it is that the Office of Community Standards here at Purchase College has suggested expulsion for me, a protesting student, while the real aggressor, Paul Nicholson, faces no accountability for how he attacked me, for how he blatantly violated campus policy. A staff member who puts his hands on a student, especially a student who did not in any way physically harm or threaten him, should not be on this campus. An ombudsman who assaults a student cannot be a trusted resource for students to turn to. Mr. Nicholson’s presence is a threat to campus, not mine.
I ask the College to find me not responsible of most of the charges against me. The only thing I am responsible for is Charge D1 for removing property of a person. However, I did not sell, use, or misappropriate any property of another person and I did not remove any property of the College itself. I am not responsible for Charge C1: harm, abuse, injury. I am not responsible for Charge C3: threatens, harasses, intimidates. I am not responsible for Charge C4: coerces, detains, physical force. I am not responsible for Charge F6: fails to respect ongoing legitimate functions.
This process has been completely unfair and has been done poorly. I have had to go back and forth, waiting over a month to question the police officers in this case. The first time I had my hearing, both officers failed to show up. I did not have any notice ahead of time. The second time I had my hearing, I was informed 7 minutes prior to my hearing that Officer Foley, the officer who made the report in this case, was not going to be present. I then had to decide if I wanted to proceed with the hearing, without having the opportunity to question the officer , or to postpone the hearing and continue waiting while being suspended. I have been kept from educational opportunities for over a month while I have been suspended. This has been a very unfair process for me and for my education.
I am so disappointed in Purchase College for how they are treating me, a Black student, as an aggressor throughout this process. I am no stranger to racism. I know it when I see it. Even though all the evidence shows that I was in fact the victim here, I have been recommended for expulsion from this College. I ask you to find me not responsible for the charges I named. I ask you to reject the recommendation of expulsion. And I ask to be treated fairly and righteously by this College.
Another Powerful Speech by Cesar >> astral
Sources/Links on Cesar's Story
Petition
Organizer's Story
Hello, my name is Kara and I'm fundraising for Cesar. The first time I met Cesar, was a few months ago, at a spontaneous protest for Pales -tine. During the action, Cesar gave an inspiring speech about humanity, liberation and freedom. He talked about being suspended from his school and the time the police pulled him off the sidewalk only a few days before, and wrongfully arrested him. Hearing Cesar speak was truly inspiring. I could tell he was a real one and had a voice that could bring about change in the hearts and minds of others. I could see his love for humanity and his desire to see liberation. It was genuine and heartfelt. And I was right. I've gotten to know Cesar more through conversation in DM's, over the phone, and just seeing how he shows up at protests.
After learning how he was assaulted by a faculty member and his College suspended him, I also learned that it has put him in a financially unstable situation. The school has not refunded Cesar. Right now, I am asking, if you could find it within your heart to support Cesar in anyway you can; 5 dollars or more can make all the difference.
Right now we are setting the goal for $5000 dollars. If we can reach the goal we will move it up. His needs are much more, and the school owes more. However, Cesar was worried about asking for too much. I mentioned "we can move the goal up, if we reach the goal, and people show their support for you."
I believe we can reach this goal and more. Cesar also mentioned, that if we raise more than what he needs, he will donate the rest to charity's for Watermelon, Congo and Sudan. His heart truly is for the oppressed. However, right now Cesar is also in desperate need of your support. Also, let's demand justice for Cesar and that the University and Piggies be held accountable for Cesar and all the university students who have been unlawfully targeted, and put into financial hardship.
Organizer
Kara DeParsia
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY