NEW BRUNSWICK — The students who slid mock-eviction notices under dorm doors at Rutgers University to protest Israeli treatment of Palestinians were cleared of a bias accusation.

The Rutgers Bias Prevention Education Committee found “that the incident did not constitute a violation of the student life policy prohibiting harassment,” wrote Sarah Luke, the school’s senior assistant general counsel, in a letter last week.

The Students for Justice in Palestine slid “eviction” notices under hundreds of doors at the Rutgers’ New Brunswick campuses on Oct. 6, said Amanda, a group member who did not want her last name published.

The notices had a municipal code number in the top-right corner, including a case and warrant number, and warned students their dorms would be demolished within three days.

The third paragraph then changed tone, explaining that it's not a real eviction but instead compared its “unrealistically harsh” tone to what 160,000 Palestinians have faced since 1967.

According to the letter, a single complaint was lodged against the group. It did not specify who made the complaint or why they felt targeted. A rabbi in the Rutgers community said last month she had heard several students were upset upon receiving the fliers.

The Students for Justice in Palestine's Rutgers chapter slid mock-eviction notices under students' dorm and apartment doors on Oct. 6, touching off a multi-campus controversy. The group said in a statement today that they were trying to educate the student body about the Palestinian experience of being displaced by Israel.

Amanda said the group went out of its way to avoid targeting Jews in their distribution of the fake notices – they intentionally avoided the Hillel building and Les Turchin Chabad House.

"It is very very obvious these are fake," she said. "Our motive was to shed light on the daily life of Palestinians and their struggles... It's the topic that bothered them - they try to silence any criticism of Israel."

The Students for Justice in Palestine were given a warning for distributing fliers in such a way. But the school’s bias committee found the group was not guilty of targeting any one group.

“Rutgers addresses First Amendment issues such as this very scrupulously, and students are never sanctioned for expressing controversial views, even when such views may offend other members of the university community,” wrote Luke, of the school’s general counsel.

Liz Jackson, a cooperating attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights who represented the student group, said the decision is one that is backed by recent court decisions.

"Criticism of Israel is not 'bias' that targets Jewish students, but is protected political speech, and the kind of expression to be expected on a college campus," Jackson said.

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Campus controversy: Pro-Palestine group slides ‘mock-eviction’ notices under Rutgers' doors