NYU forces pro-Palestinian protesters to watch 'The Simpsons' as punishment

New York University students suspended for participating in pro-Palestinian protests have been asked to complete "morality and ethics" assignments or face expulsion. Dozens of students have received a 49-page Ethos Integrity Series paper designed to teach them about "ethical decision-making," which includes lessons from The Simpsons.

Last month, police arrested about 100 protestors and dismantled a "Gaza Solidarity" encampment they had set up on campus. The students were accused of violating school policies, including "antagonising behaviour" and "unauthorised use of school spaces" during the protests.

While university officials decided not to press charges, they are requiring the students to complete the ethics assignment before they can resume their studies.

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Content of the ethics paper

The ethics paper includes links to the American Declaration of Independence and the Boy Scouts of America website. Students must also read the Wikipedia page for the Ten Commandments and watch the episode "Lisa Gets an A" from season ten of The Simpsons, in which Lisa cheats on an exam.

They must answer 12 questions about the episode, including whether Principal Skinner made ethical decisions. Additionally, the students received a "reflection paper" from the student conduct department with questions such as: "What have you done, or need still to do, to make things right?" They were also asked to identify "who was affected by the incident," including "society as a whole" and "property."

One second-year student from the Middle East on a scholarship expressed feeling "deeply uncomfortable" completing the paper but felt compelled to do so to graduate, reported The Times. Others plan to file grievances with the university, arguing that the assignments amount to forced confessions.

A university spokesman defended the reflection assignments as "a vital lesson."

"In addition to disciplinary measures, college conduct processes are also meant to be educational. The reflection paper assignment and the reading assignments are a widespread and common practice in higher ed conduct offices. The point of these essays is to reflect upon how a student’s expression of their values might be having an impact on other members of the NYU community. We think that’s a worthwhile goal," he said.

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“However, that is not to say that the specific assignments couldn’t be improved. In fact, in conjunction with NYU faculty experts whom we hope to convene, the staff in the Office of Student Conduct will begin taking a look at what might be done to improve the quality of the prompts for the reflection papers, as well as the other educational assignments,” the spokesperson added.

(With inputs from agencies)