Several Virginia Commonwealth University students who did everything they needed to do to graduate were denied their degree for sitting on the wrong patch of grass on April 29. The students were part of an event, which VCU officials said was unauthorized, that marked the one-year anniversary of a prior pro-Palestinian protest on the campus.

The 2024 pro-Palestinian protest at VCU led to a clash between student demonstrators and law enforcement. It wasn’t a good look for a university that prides itself on promoting free expression and diversity of thought. While we can understand why the school might hesitate to certify an event that marks a moment of intolerance in its history, what’s harder to understand is why it refuses to give these students their diplomas.

Perhaps the university is sending a message, not just to the graduates whose degrees are being withheld while their conduct is investigated, but to any other students on campus who might dare to stand up and speak out. It seems it’s not about keeping order, as the students who are being punished for protesting, presumably won’t be on campus next semester, but silencing dissent. That’s a dangerous message for any public university to send.

Maybe the school is grandstanding to appeal to the current presidential administration, showing they’re ready to align with its efforts to reshape higher education into a place that values following rules over independent thought and silence over speaking out. Here’s a pro tip, VCU: Appeasement won’t curry favor with that crowd. It just makes you part of the problem.

In general, withholding an earned degree doesn’t seem fair. There are, of course, exceptions—such as students convicted of violent crimes, caught cheating, or with unpaid tuition bills. But for the most part, and especially in this case, it’s like refusing to give the winning trophy to a team after their victory, just because the referees want to review a play from the third quarter.

VCU, time has run out. The students met the requirements, played by the rules of the game and you shouldn’t hold back what they’ve rightfully earned. Give them their degrees.