Student Union
White Student Calls Police on Sleeping Black Student at Yale
Yale University says it is "deeply disturbed" by a video showing a black student being questioned by police at the behest of a white student.
Student Sarah Braasch reportedly called Yale campus police to question student Lolade Siyonbola, whom Braasch awoke in a dormitory common room Monday.
"You're in a Yale building and we need to make sure that you belong here," an officer told Siyonbola, who livestreamed the incident on Facebook.
Siyonbola's first video shows Braasch saying, "I have every right to call the police," as she takes smartphone photos of Siyonbola. Continuing to take photos, Braasch moves toward Siyonbola, who enters an elevator. The doors close and the video ends.
Much of the second, 17-minute video Siyonbola shot shows campus police waiting in a hallway outside her dorm room after she opened the door to show them that she lived there. She and police remained mostly quiet as police seemed to await instructions on their radios about a glitch with Siyonbola's identification card.
"I don't want to talk about it," Siyonbola said calmly when an officer tried to make small talk as the two stood uncomfortably in the hallway. "I deserve to be here. I pay tuition like everybody else. I'm not going to justify my existence here."
Three officers come and go in the video: a white male, an olive-skinned female and an African-American male who identified himself as a supervisor. After explaining his position, he told Siyonbola that police were "doing our job" and suggested that she be "more helpful." It is a mildly tense moment among otherwise measured exchanges.
"This isn't harassment," he added.
"That's exactly what it is," she responded.
"I am deeply troubled by an incident that took place Monday night in the Hall of Graduate Studies," wrote Kimberly Goff-Crews, vice president for student life, in a published letter online.
"This incident and others recently reported to me underscore that we have work to do to make Yale not only excellent but also inclusive," Goff-Crews wrote. "I strongly believe we must strive to create an environment that values equity and justice and in which all students are empowered to pursue their personal and professional goals — environment that is diverse, intellectually challenging, and broadly welcoming."
Goff-Crews said the student who made the call to police had been "admonished" by Yale police.
On social media, Braasch was vilified. Some commenters suggested she be removed from the university. She did not respond to VOA efforts to reach her.
Siyonbola is a master's candidate in African-American studies. Braasch is a doctoral candidate in philosophy. On her Yale department page, she is described as receiving her master's degree in philosophy "to address the sub-human legal status of the world's women."
"We still have so much more to do," Goff-Crews wrote.
See all News Updates of the Day
Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
- By VOA News
British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
