This story has been updated. 

Atlanta, GA — Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves apologized on April 29 for the university’s initial statements about an encampment on the university’s campus.

When the protest, similar to others around the country, sprang up at Emory last week, the University said, “these individuals are not members of our community.” Now, 28 arrests and numerous viral videos later, Fenves said the initial statement was incorrect.

“Based on the information we had early Thursday morning, we determined that the individuals who constructed the encampment on our Quad were not members of our community,” he said. “It is clear to us now that this information was not fully accurate, and I apologize for that mischaracterization. My goal was to remove a growing encampment, as allowing such an encampment would have been highly disruptive, affecting everything from classes and exams to our ability to hold Commencement. I remain firm that such encampments cannot be permitted at Emory.”

Emory’s response to the encampment, which included arrests by law enforcement, escalated the situation. The protests continued well into Friday evening when protestors marched from the Quad to the Candler School of Theology.

Fenves himself is under fire. According to Decaturish media partner Atlanta News First, Emory faculty have called for a “no-confidence” vote on his presidency.

Here is Fenves’ full letter apologizing for the university’s statements when the protest began:

Dear Emory Community,

Over the past week, Emory has experienced unprecedented protests and disruptions. We are not alone. Nationwide, universities are grappling with events that have deeply shaken our respective communities. I have heard from many of you, and I want you to know that I am listening. I understand your concerns, your fears, your frustrations, and your outrage. As we enter the final week of the academic year, I am focused on protecting our campuses, supporting peaceful expression for all members of our community, and finding ways to foster healing and rebuild trust.

I would like to use this message to update you on last Thursday’s events.

Based on the information we had early Thursday morning, we determined that the individuals who constructed the encampment on our Quad were not members of our community. It is clear to us now that this information was not fully accurate, and I apologize for that mischaracterization. My goal was to remove a growing encampment, as allowing such an encampment would have been highly disruptive, affecting everything from classes and exams to our ability to hold Commencement. I remain firm that such encampments cannot be permitted at Emory.

Let me be clear: I am devastated that members of our community were caught up in law enforcement activity enforcing the removal of the encampment. The videos of these interactions are deeply distressing. I take Thursday’s events very seriously and we are launching a thorough review of them so that we can develop recommendations to improve how we keep our community safe. This review will include how Emory engages external law enforcement agencies.

I am committed to supporting our students and faculty who wish to express their views peacefully. We will not tolerate conduct that undermines these efforts. I know that many members of our community are focused on their classes, research, exams, and upcoming graduation. We are working hard to keep our campus as free from disruption as possible so that these important core functions of the university can carry forward at the highest level.

Sincerely,

Gregory L. Fenves, President

Following last week’s protests, Emory University Libraries & Museum Workers released a statement criticizing the university’s response. Here is the full statement:

Emory University Libraries and Museum workers recognize the critical role of libraries, archives, and museums as democratic sites of information exchange. Emory University should be held accountable for misinformation that has contributed to escalating violence this past week.

The official narrative communicated by Emory University President Gregory Fenves and Vice President for Public Safety Cheryl Elliott asserts that the protests on April 25, 2024, were organized and carried out by “outside agitators” who threatened Emory police officers, thereby justifying the university’s opaque decision to call in the Atlanta Police Department and Georgia State Patrol to help disperse the crowd.

Most eyewitness accounts do not corroborate the official narrative. The encampment set up on the main quad was a small, peaceful demonstration violently disrupted by police, leading to the arrest of 28 community members, 20 of whom were affiliated with Emory. These numbers contradict the official University narrative that the protests were organized by outsiders. Countless other community members, including ones unaffiliated with the protest, were exposed to chemical irritants, tased, and physically assaulted by police.

This reframing of the narrative is counter to our mission and values as a profession. We condemn the University administration’s dishonest and misleading response, which, in spite of the school’s Respect for Open Expression Policy, serves to suppress the free speech of Emory community members. As such, the undersigned faculty and staff of Emory University Libraries and Museum declare the following:

We support Emory and Atlanta community members’ right to protest without fear of violent repression.
We refuse to stay silent as our students and colleagues are brutalized on a campus that aspires to embrace social justice and progress.
While this statement is not a declaration of intent to strike, we support any faculty, staff, and students who choose to do so until all charges are dropped against protesters.

We affirm our support for the College Faculty Senate, which has moved to approve a vote of no confidence for President Fenves.

We will continue to advocate for and support the use of  information and archival literacy tools to combat misinformation,  facilitate crucial memory work,  and address critical problems facing our University and Atlanta communities.

Note: Any individuals who sign under their own name are doing so on their own behalf. They are not representing the opinion of their division, department, library, or museum.

Saira Raza, Business Librarian, Goizueta Business Library
Paige Crowl, Head of Teaching, Oxford College Library
Sage Theune, Stacks Shifting Supervisor, Access and Resource Services
Anonymous, Emory Center for Digital Scholarship
Karen Garrabrant, Library Specialist, Content and Resource Description
Natalie Heimerle, Access and Resource Services
Jenny Vitti, Interlibrary Borrowing Coordinator, Access and Resource Services
Dhy Edwardsberry, Goizueta Business Librarian, Goizueta Business Library
Rebecca Sherman, Senior Collections Processing Archivist, Rose Library
Gaby Hale, Outreach Archivist, Rose Library
Jacob Lackner, Teaching and Learning Librarian, Oxford College Library
Laura Starratt, Head of Processing, Rose Library
Kayla Annan; Collection Development Archivist, African American Collections; Rose Library
Katherine Fisher, Rose Library
Hannah Rogers, MLS; Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
Amber Prentiss; Associate Librarian; Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications
Ryan Nock, Library Specialist, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
Erin Reardon, Public Health Informationist, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
Jay Varner, Software Engineer, Emory Center for Digital Scholarship
Alvinette Patterson, Library Specialist, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
John Klinger, Emory Libraries Exhibition Team
Anonymous, Oxford College Library
Jamie Barnas, Oxford College Library
Russ Peterson; Head of Instruction and Engagement; Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications
Sofia Slutskaya; Head, Resource Description; Access and Resource Services
Sara Fuchs, Visiting Librarian, Rose Library
Anicka Austin, Collections Processing Archivist, Rose Library
John Nemeth, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
Anonymous, Access and Resource Services
Peter Shirts; Humanities Librarian; Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications
Anonymous, ECR Specialist Sr., Electronic & Continuing Resources
Ginny Hudgins, Teaching and Learning Librarian, Oxford College
Jacqueline Reed, Instruction Coordinator, Rose Library
Jennifer Townes; Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications
Sharon Leslie, Informationist, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
Cisco Lopez, Graduate Fellow, Rose Library
Jody Bailey; Head of Scholarly Communications; Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications
Kyle Fenton; Still Image Digitization Manager; Media Preservation Team, Access and Resource Services
Max Mayhew, Front End Developer III, Library Technology and Digital Strategies
Tara Kunesh, Library Specialist Sr., Resource Description
Erica Bruchko; Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications
Miranda Kyle; Curator, Indigenous Arts of the Americas; Michael C. Carlos Museum
Melinda Hartwig, Curator, Michael C. Carlos Museum
Ella Andrews, Andrew W. Mellon Advanced Fellow in Objects Conservation, Michael C. Carlos Museum
Brittany Dinneen, Assistant Museum Objects Conservator, Michael C. Carlos Museum
Ruth Allen, Curator, Michael C. Carlos Museum
Dee Roberts, Reference and Outreach Librarian, Pitts Theology Library
John D. Morgenstern; Copyright and Scholarly Communications Librarian; Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications
Ashley D. Stevens, Archivist, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
Dave Armistead, Senior Preparator, Michael C. Carlos Museum
Clare Barton, Library Technology and Digital Strategies
Anonymous, Department Head, Access and Resource Services
Kathy Britt-Rogers, Interlibrary Loan Lending Coordinator, Access and Resource Services
Francis Ittenbach, Graduate Research Assistant, Rose Library
Rachel Detzler, Reading Room Manager, Rose Library
Temi Alao, Graduate Student Staff, Rose Library
Ryan Beresch, Program Manager, Michael C. Carlos Museum
Allison Stickley-Miner, Collections Processing Assistant, Rose Library
Kelly Kautt, Resource Management Specialist, Acquisitions/Access and Resource Services
Andi McKenzie, Curator of Works on Paper, Michael C. Carlos Museum
Molly Faust, Oxford College Library
Anonymous; Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications

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