Devron Burks and Sam Schulman pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault charges in Davidson County General Sessions Court on Nov. 20. They were sentenced to 11 months and 29 days of probation.

Burks, Schulman and Jack Petocz were expelled and arrested following their involvement in a Vanderbilt Divest Coalition sit-in protest inside Kirkland Hall on March 26. Petocz had a preliminary hearing on Aug. 22, during which the court found probable cause for the misdemeanor assault charge against him. The date of his next appearance in court has not been announced yet.

The assault charges for all three result from allegations that they pushed a Community Service Officer as they entered Kirkland Hall. In blurred surveillance footage sent in a March 26 email to students, the protestors can be seen pushing past a CSO as they entered the building, but from this footage, it is unclear who pushed the officer.

Per the terms of their probations, Burks and Schulman were ordered not to enter Vanderbilt’s campus and to stay away from the victim. They are also not permitted to use alcohol, marijuana or other drugs. 

In a statement to The Hustler, a university representative said the university appreciates that the city’s legal process has concluded and emphasized that Vanderbilt’s disciplinary process is separate from the legal system.

“The sanctions Vanderbilt imposed for students who forcibly entered Kirkland Hall to protest were the result of conduct determined through our rigorous student accountability process to have violated our policies,” the representative said. “Our Appellate Review Board, composed of students and faculty, upheld the sanctions after carefully reviewing the individual circumstances of each student’s appeal.”

The representative also emphasized that the university values and encourages free expression and civil discourse within “reasonable” time, place and manner limitations.

“That said, Vanderbilt will not tolerate mistreatment of our staff,” the representative said. “The safety and well-being of our community is a top priority, and we will take corrective action when our policies are violated, or the safety and well-being of our community is compromised.”

Vanderbilt Divest Coalition did not immediately respond to The Hustler’s request for comment.