Graduate Student disciplined for involvement in Pro-Palestinian movement on campus
On Dec. 4, Prahlad Iyengar G, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has been suspended until January of 2026 for his involvement relating to the Pro-Palestinian movement on campus. He is also banned from campus premises. The Institute’s Committee of Discipline imposed these sanctions.
Iyengar is on the steering committee of the Coalition for Palestine (C4P). He was one of the editors of Written Revolution, a Pro-Palestinian student run political magazine, which is under investigation by the Institute administration.
Iyengar receives funding from a highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) grant: the C4P claims that he will lose such funding as a result of the suspension. A petition circulated in support of Iyengar has garnered signatures from numerous MIT faculty and staff, claiming that the suspension “is excessive and disproportionate” and that it will have “lifelong, career-damaging consequences.”
Dozens protested at the Cambridge City Hall on Dec. 9, calling for the city councilors to intervene and prevent MIT from suspending pro-Palestinian student protestors. Sophie Coppieters ‘t Wallant, President of the MIT Graduate Student Union said, “The fact that MIT is choosing to threaten student livelihood and careers simply because they don’t agree with what students are speaking up and protesting for is unacceptable.”
Iyengar had until Dec. 11 to appeal the suspension to MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles.