UAlbany: Four students suspended over COVID-19 gathering violations; Others under investigation

ALBANY – Four UAlbany students have been suspended and others are being investigated over violations of the university and the state’s COVID-19 safety protocols, UAlbany president Havidán Rodríguez said in a statement Sunday.

Four students have been suspended from campus and one has been temporarily removed from housing, Rodríguez wrote. “Numerous other incident reports” remain under investigation.

The suspensions come after large off-campus gatherings, in violation of the COVID-19 safety protocols, Rodríguez wrote.

“The large gatherings this weekend in midtown Albany should anger anyone concerned about the health of our community,” Rodríguez wrote. “And they should embarrass anyone who participated in them.’

Rodríguez called it critical that anyone who participated in the gatherings get tested for COVID-19. UAlbany students can seek testing through Student Health Services, the state COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-364-3065 or by going to https://covid19screening.health.ny.gov.

The first priority is containing the spread, Rodríguez wrote.

“To be clear, however, the University has zero tolerance for behavior that endangers the health and safety of others, Rodríguez wrote. “The Dean of Students Office had staff on the ground in midtown this weekend and is investigating, including reviewing social media posts in an effort to identify any members of our community acting irresponsibly.”

Any students found to have disregarded precautions and endangered others will face “serious penalties – up to and including suspension or dismissal,” Rodríguez wrote.

“We have a collective moral obligation to protect the health of the community we call home, and there is no margin for carelessness,” Rodríguez wrote. “The vast majority of UAlbany students are taking this obligation seriously because they understand the stakes and know that being on campus is a privilege. It is time for the rest to get on board, or go home.”