Hey y’all, I know I never post here anymore, but I figured I’d use my blog to get the word out about this situation because it’s absolutely horrible and needs national attention. Please note, the following post contains content referencing the abuse/lack of accommodation of an autistic college student, suspension, homelessness, police/security.
Quick summary: Iris Allen (pronouns he/him or they/them), a Black, autistic, homeless student at Hampshire College, was suspended from school following an ‘outburst’ that was the result of a lack of accommodation for his disability by school officials. He was forcibly removed from campus by security officers before his scheduled disciplinary hearing despite the College being well aware he is homeless and would have nowhere to go but the street in below-freezing temperatures. As of December 12th, Hampshire College has extended Iris’ suspension to the remainder of the spring semester and police forcibly escorted him off campus without allowing him to access his dorm, take any belongings, or see his support animal. Iris is in a safe location, housed, and fed, but he is unable to obtain any of his belongings or his support animal from his dorm. (We have confirmed that the animal is able to be cared for by Iris’ friends.)
I have done my best to compile as much information about this situation as possible. None of the information presented below in the timeline is my own, and I have not put any of my own thoughts or opinions into it. I trust that the story has been reported factually by Iris’ friends/classmates and even if we do not have a full picture of the events leading to his suspension, the very act of kicking a homeless student out onto the streets in the snow is reprehensible and worth protesting.
RESOURCES:
Link to Iris’s Advocate Fundraiser: https://www.youcaring.com/irisallen-1039410
Contact the following people (his conduct board members who made and supported the suspension decision) to voice your concerns about Iris’s safety:
Pam Tinto: pjtSA@hampshire.edu
Dre Domingue: adomingue@hampshire.edu
Gloria Lopez: gloSA@hampshire.edu
Greg Gnarleski: gnarleski@hampshire.eduThe following (below the cut) will detail the timeline of Iris Allen’s suspension and forced removal from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Main sources include Cameron Prata (friend of Iris)’s public posts as well as private conversations between him and myself, Iris Allen’s own posts and statements made in the #freeiris group, and other sources including official statements from Hampshire College.
(via aslowmover)
