Harvard Law Students Protest University’s Coronavirus Strategy

Law Students at Harvard organized protests and conducted a sit-in in response to the university’s announcement that students must quickly leave campus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Law School resident advisors met with a Dean of Students, while law students camped outside the office for five hours to demand answers from administrators. According to an advisor, the sit-in was because of fear prompted by the message to move off of campus, as well as a demand for more information about the logistics of moving out. “The point of the sit-in was to bring to light just how poorly the Law School has communicated its response to the coronavirus and particularly its response regarding evicting students from their housing — for on-campus housing — and the process of who can stay on, who can appeal, and the rationale and the strategy behind that,” said law student Felipe Hernandez. He noted that the strategy was effective, because soon after an e-mail was sent out stating that the school would work with students to provide financial assistance for the cost of travel and would not evict students without a place to stay.