Failing to comply with College officials' directions violates Standard IX of the Dartmouth College Community Standards of Conduct.
"I don't understand it at all because not following directions seems like something incredibly benign," said Nina Rojas '13, who received a letter from Undergraduate Judicial Affairs director Nathan Miller.
Rojas pointed to the Principles of Community, which protect and encourage dissent, and said that not following directions is a characteristic of many protests.
Taylor Payer '15 claimed that the protesters received the letter despite being told by Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson and Interim President Carol Folt that they would not face disciplinary action. The administration did not explicitly tell them which actions would be punished, Payer said.
In a previous interview, Johnson said that the administration would not release details about the protesters' judiciary proceedings.
"There is nothing different about this situation than any other situation, except that I think the community may want a public condemnation, but we refuse to do that out of respect to their privacy," Johnson said.
Media relations director Justin Anderson could not be reached for comment by press time.
Rojas and Payer said they previously participated in other protests for which they did not face disciplinary action.
"It's very interesting that this is the one time the College chooses to say, Oh, you're being charged with not following directions,'" Rojas said. "I think they're probably responding to pressure from trustees or alumni or someone."
Dani Valdes '13, who protested the Dimensions show, said he was not surprised to receive the letter because he had never believed the administration supported Real Talk.
Because Real Talk values accountability, breaking a rule warrants disciplinary action, Rojas said.
"If there's a rule that I broke, I should be punished for it, but if other people break rules, especially if they involve violence or sexual violence, they should be punished as well." Rojas said. "Punishment and accountability is done in a selective way, and that is a huge problem."
The Dimensions show was held on April 19 in the Class of 1953 Commons.
