April 24, 2026 | 4:45 p.m.
The University of Oregon is committed to fostering a campus environment that is safe, respectful, and supportive of free expression. This advisory is being issued following the cancellation of a scheduled campus event due to escalating safety concerns related to protest activity.
On April 22, 2026, a scheduled event hosted by a recognized student organization was disrupted by protest activity at and near the reserved event space outdoors on the Eugene campus. Prior to the event, university staff and law enforcement partners worked with event organizers to plan for safety, including establishing a designated event perimeter and taking additional precautions informed by recent disruptions in the region.
However, although police were present during the event and physical safety was maintained, the volume and nature of the protest created safety concerns for event organizers and participants. As a result, the visiting speaker did not come on site, and event organizers relocated the event to an off-campus location.
The university has received reports that hostile or threatening language was directed at attendees, specifically members of the Jewish student community. These reports are being taken seriously. University officials are evaluating available information, including police body‑worn camera footage, to determine whether any conduct violated university policy or applicable law. Responsible parties will be referred through the appropriate disciplinary processes.
Commitment to Safety and Free Expression
The University of Oregon supports the rights of community members to engage in lawful free expression, including speech, protest, and assembly. These rights are foundational to the mission of a public university and are protected under the First Amendment.
At the same time, the university has a responsibility to ensure that campus activities do not place individuals at risk of physical harm and to take remedial action if they do. This balance is not always easy, particularly in moments of heightened tension. Decisions made in these circumstances focus on immediate safety, not the viewpoint or identity of any speaker, organization, or protest group.
Upholding Title VI Obligations
In addition to protecting free expression, the university is legally and ethically obligated to uphold Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination, harassment, and exclusion from university programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity), or other protected characteristics.
The University of Oregon does not tolerate conduct, expressive or otherwise, that rises to the level of unlawful harassment or creates a hostile environment that interferes with an individual’s ability to participate in or benefit from university programs or activities.
Conduct that includes threats, intimidation, targeting, or harassment of individuals or groups based on protected characteristics may violate university policy, even when it occurs in the context of protest or expressive activity.
More information about these protections and how to report concerns is available on the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access website.
Reporting and Support
The University of Oregon remains committed to protecting the physical safety of our community; supporting lawful free expression and protest; enforcing policies that prohibit discrimination and harassment; and striving to make the university a place where disagreement does not escalate into harm.
