Demand Accountability for Physical Assault on Muslim Graduate at Seattle University

On June 14, 2026, during Seattle University's commencement ceremony, Provost Shane Martin physically grabbed, pushed, and forcibly removed a Palestinian flag from a Muslim hijabi student who had explicitly stated her religious boundary against shaking hands with men. This assault on a graduate's religious freedom and physical safety was captured on video and has sparked international outrage. The student now faces doxxing and harassment. no student on campus should face such intimidation for displaying the flag of a people undergoing genocide. We demand an immediate public apology, mandatory training to eradicate Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism for all university staff, and financial restitution for the student's security costs. Seattle University's Jesuit values of social justice ring hollow when its leadership physically attacks students for peaceful symbolic expression.