Members of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County sent two letters to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier on March 28 regarding the Kirkland Hall sit-in. The first, written by District 20 Councilmember Rollin Horton, expressed concern over VUPD’s arrest of Nashville Scene reporter Eli Motycka, and the second, written by Councilmember at Large Zulfat Suara, affirmed support for student protesters.
The letters come after four Vanderbilt Divest Coalition members were arrested and 27 suspended indefinitely following a nearly 22-hour sit-in at Kirkland Hall in protest of the administration’s removal of a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions referendum from the VSG ballot. VDC submitted a petition for text to be added to VSG’s constitution to align with the BDS movement. Over spring break, university administrators removed the proposition from the ballot, citing legal complications.
Horton’s letter, co-signed by 19 council members, urges Diermeier to remember Vanderbilt’s influential role in the city and “uphold and protect” the freedoms of speech and press.
“As a prestigious institution of higher learning situated within our community, Vanderbilt University plays a significant role in shaping the values and discourse of our city,” the letter reads. “We urge you to embody these principles by working to ensure incidents such as this do not occur in the future and that the values of free speech and press are protected.”
In an email to The Hustler, Horton reaffirmed Nashville’s support for journalism and free expression, calling on the university to do the same.
“We urge the university to take action to ensure incidents such as this are avoided in the future. Nashville is a vibrant and welcoming community for journalists and all creative types,” Horton said. “The free expression and exchange of ideas is foundational to Nashville’s identity — journalism is a critical component of that. Our city will continue to welcome and support journalists and the important role they play in our community.”
Suara’s letter, co-signed by 10 council members, requested a meeting between Diemeier and the Metro Council and urged the VSG BDS vote to be reinstated.
“Things seem to be escalating quickly and beyond simply a few students feeling disgruntled,” the letter reads. “Not allowing the students to vote on this matter is undemocratic. Allowing the students to vote doesn’t tie your University to a particular outcome; however, not allowing them to vote is demoralizing and a repression of their free speech.”
The letter also calls for the protesters’ suspensions to be repealed and criminal charges dropped.
“Students who don’t have anywhere to go should not be threatened with legal action for being on a campus where they pay tuition,” Suara’s letter reads.
In a March 28 post on X, Suara further criticized the university’s alleged suppression of student speech and expression.
“My colleagues and I sent a letter to Chancellor [Diermeier] expressing our support for students’ right to vote. We must remember that some of what happened on campus this week, including the arrest of [Motycka], stems from the suppression of students’ voices by the administration,” the post reads.
The university released a statement on March 28 after further review of Motycka’s arrest, explaining that administration will continue to review current campus media policies. It did not respond to The Hustler’s request for comment on the letters penned by either council member.
“Upon further reflection and recognizing the valuable input we have received, Vanderbilt will review whether the administration’s response to the Nashville Scene reporter’s attempts to gain access to a restricted building on Tuesday aligned with our core values,” the statement reads. “Vanderbilt will also review and explore updates to our campus access and media policies to best ensure our commitment to freedom of the press going forward.”
In a message to The Hustler, Motycka emphasized the importance of student journalism during this alleged restriction of the press.
“My arrest…[is] antithetical to a free, open and democratic society,” Motycka said in a message to The Hustler. “Vanderbilt’s current climate of hostility toward [the] media makes what The Hustler does within campus even more important.”
