How the Demonstrations Started

In May, when the board of trustees announced that then-Provost Jane K. Fernandes would be the next president of Gallaudet University, students stood up and walked out of the auditorium, climbed onto the front gates and began to protest.

They said that the search process was unfair, that Fernandes was not strong enough to lead a school often seen as the cultural backbone of the deaf world and that the board had ignored their concerns.

Because longtime President I. King Jordan swept into office after students demanded a "deaf president now" and started a civil rights movement, the selection of Fernandes had particular weight for the deaf community.

For two weeks, students lived in tents by the front gates, held rallies and hung banners. An opposition coalition formed, and blogs popped up to cover every detail for alumni.

At graduation, trustees assured the campus community that they were unwavering in their support for Fernandes, who they said was by far the strongest candidate.

The tents came down as students left campus for the summer, and things seemed to be quiet. An interim provost was named as Fernandes began to work full time on the transition to the presidency, holding meetings with people on campus and finishing a diversity action plan that she hopes will resolve many of the divisions.

This week, as the board returned to campus, the tents went back up, and protests resumed in force.