Mecha de Teejop, formerly Mecha de UW-Madison, cited their June 17 disaffiliation as a result of “hostile” university investigation tactics, including a “pattern of harassment and intentional intimidation of our already vulnerable Latine, Chicane and Indigenous members” in a statement announcing their independence from the university.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Committee on Student Organizations (CSO) later found Mecha not responsible after investigation for antisemitic chalkings found at the Dane County Farmers’ Market.
Documents obtained by The Daily Cardinal show Mecha members criticized the UW-Madison Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and Student Affairs staff members for engaging in intimidation tactics, hostility and “McCarthyism.”
UW-Madison Dean of Students Christina Olstad initially suspended Mecha on May 6 during an OSCCS investigation into the chalkings.
Records show students, parents and alumni submitted bias reports alleging members of campus organizations may have co-hosted a chalking event that resulted in chalkings that endorsed violence, supported terrorist organizations and contained antisemitic comments.
UW-Madison Hillel President Greg Steinberger originally submitted the Cardinal article as a part of a bias complaint and Olstad added the information to the CSO complaint against Mecha and Anticolonial.
The investigation originated from the Cardinal’s initial coverage of the chalkings and focused mainly on a shared Instagram post from Mecha, Anticolonial Sciences, Madison for Palestine and other groups advertising the chalking event.
Mecha members told Assistant Dean of Students Tonya Schmidt they were not present at the chalking event but could not speak for other Mecha members and said they did not directly coordinate the chalking.
Mecha students said, “no one who created those graphics was from Mecha, it was only shared by us,” in a meeting with principal investigator Schmidt and Mecha advisor Ketzhally Lopez.
Some Mecha members said they believe“they [were] being targeted by someone saying their group chalked something that wasn’t chalked to get their group in trouble” in a meeting regarding the investigation May 22.
After their suspension, Mecha was barred from their space in the Red Gym. Members said they were locked out of their space before being notified of the suspension according to obtained documents. This comes after university officials temporarily relocated Mecha to the Red Gym due to Levy Hall construction disruptions.
“For her to change the locks on the door of our space before the letter was sent sends a message of hostility,” Mecha members said. It symbolized that “[Olstad] thinks we’re guilty.”
Student Affairs requested the lock to Mecha’s office in the Red Gym be changed the day that the organization received its interim suspension notice on May 6, according to Student Affairs Communications Director Jenny Bernhardt.
In addition, they voiced concerns about the Cardinal report that formed the basis of their investigation, including accusing the Cardinal of using language that, “more quickly admonishes certain groups like Chabad who bragged about killing babies,” and makes groups like Mecha de UW-Madison feel alienated by their coverage of the chalking event.
Following the May 22 meeting, Schmidt sent an email with additional questions about the chalking Instagram post on May 24, followed up on May 29 and emailed June 7 inquiring which students have access to the Mecha Instagram account.
Schmidt gave a response deadline of June 12 and after not receiving a response, Schmidt sent an additional investigatory letter charging Mecha with “Possessing or Providing False and Misleading Information” by “withholding related information.”
Following a second investigation for withholding information from Schmidt, CSO advisor Aaron Vieth also began communicating with Mecha and sent emails to the RSO’s entire mailing list after not receiving a response.
He said if he did not receive a response by June 18 he would open an investigation into Mecha for withholding information and require interviews with every student in the organization. Refusal to participate in an interview could result in an individual being charged with failure to comply with a reasonable request under UWS 17.09(11), according to emails sent from Vieth to Mecha members.
Ketzhally followed up about possible outcomes of the investigation for students and the organization on June 17 before sending the notice of disaffiliation later that day.
“It’s clear that your escalation and disposition from the May 22 meeting is an intimidation tactic,” Katzhally said in an email. “It is clear that Student Affairs and its affiliated offices and committees are more concerned with thought-terminating accusations of antisemitism and compliance with international waves of McCarthyism than with taking a stance on the genocide of Palestinians happening in real-time.”
Editor's note: This story was updated on Sept. 27, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. to accurately describe the bias complaint submitted about the chalking.
Mary Bosch is the photo editor for The Daily Cardinal and a first year journalism student. She has covered multiple stories about university sustainability efforts, and has written for state and city news. Follow her on twitter: @Mary_Bosch6
