UC Berkeley’s decision to suspend Lecturer Peyrin Kao without pay for six months is a sweeping act of retaliation for two brief classroom comments raising concerns about ethics in technology, expressing solidarity with educators in Gaza, and briefly noting he was in poor health due to an act of activism. By labeling these remarks “serious misconduct” and “political indoctrination,” the university is weaponizing a vague, selectively enforced policy that is being used to silence Palestine-related speech.
This suspension doesn’t uphold academic standards; it threatens academic freedom, chills protected expression, and reinforces a broader campaign to intimidate students and faculty speaking out for Palestinian rights – coming just months after UC Berkeley disclosed Kao’s name, along with more than 160 others, to the federal government in a politically motivated crackdown.
We cannot allow educators like Peyrin to be punished for speaking up for Palestinian rights.
Demand that UC Berkeley reverse the suspension, stop weaponizing vague policies to target Palestine advocacy, and protect the rights of students and faculty to speak out without fear of retaliation.
Protect Free Speech: Veto AB 2664
August 31, 2026
