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Georgetown University • Washington, D.C. Vol. 107, No. 15, © 2026
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2026
Veteran, Former GU Coach Sues, Alleging Employment Discrimination, Retaliation Noah De Haan and Chloe Taft
Campus Life Desk Editor and Graduate Desk Editor
A former Georgetown University track and field associate head coach is alleging in ongoing litigation that the university failed to accommodate her veteran, disability and pregnancyrelated accommodations. In April 2024, Kaymarie Williams asked university administrators to allow her to return to work after she was honorably discharged from service in the National Guard. Nearly two years later, she is in active litigation with the university, alleging employment discrimination. Williams filed an official complaint in federal court on June 27, 2025, contending the university failed to promptly reinstate her as an employee and did not meaningfully engage with her requests for disability and pregnancy accommodations — claims Georgetown has denied. Georgetown contests Williams’ discrimination claims and alleges
that university officials made a concerted effort to reemploy her after her National Guard service. The lawsuit accuses the university of violating the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), a federal law protecting employment rights for veterans and reservists, including requiring employers to rehire them. It also alleges, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that the university illegally treated Williams differently due to her “serviceconnected disabilities,” and violated several other federal and Washington, D.C. laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, pregnancy and veteran status, including Title VII. The university asked the court to dismiss Williams’ USERRA, ADA and Title VII claims, arguing that it offered Williams positions at the university after she was discharged and offered accommodations for her pregnancy and disabilities. Williams’ attorney, Roland Blackman, said the university See LAWSUIT, A7
HAAN JUN (RYAN) LEE/THE HOYA
The former track associate head coach alleges the university illegally failed to comply with her request to return to work.
MATTHEW GASSOSO/THE HOYA
Georgetown University faculty, students and community members gathered in Red Square on March 26 to protest the university’s investment in companies with connection to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and U.S. involvement in the region.
GU Community Protests Israel-Hamas War Chloe Taft
Graduate Desk Editor
Over 50 Georgetown University students and faculty members condemned the IsraelHamas war and U.S military action in the Middle East during a Red Square protest March 26. Georgetown’s chapter of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP), an organization that supports Palestinian liberation, held the rally in collaboration with various student activist groups, including Georgetown’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Affiliated community members condemned Georgetown’s alleged ties to companies that sell technology to Israel’s military, such as Alphabet and Amazon. Elliott Colla, a Georgetown professor of Arabic and Islamic studies who spoke at the rally, said he is disappointed that Georgetown invests in companies tied to the Israel-Hamas war. “There’s so many things to love about Georgetown, and it’s because of that that it is shocking and alarming that Georgetown allows itself to be caught up in this illegal war on the level of financial investments, on the level of moral
investments,” Colla told The Hoya. “We have faculty and staff and students who are sponsoring war criminals. We have faculty advocating illegal war crimes, and we have administrators who are punishing students for advocating for peace.” “There’s a lot we’re not living up to, and because of that, we are now part of this war machine,” Colla added. In April 2025, Georgetown’s administration rejected a student referendum demanding that the university divest from companies with ties to the Israeli military, which passed with 67.9% of the vote.
According to September 2025 filings, the university has increased its direct holdings in Alphabet and Amazon — companies cited in the referendum as related to the development of Israeli military technology — following the referendum. A student from SJP speaking at the rally said the university’s administration has failed to address the student referendum in support of divestment. “We went through all the proper channels, and the university disenfranchised us,” the speaker See PROTEST, A7
GU Leaders Condemn House GUTS Drivers Union Dispute Investigation on Antisemitism Maryland Pickup Site With GU Ethan Herweck House Desk Editor
Georgetown University faculty leaders denounced a March 17 report by Republican lawmakers on a U.S. House of Representatives committee accusing the university of fostering antisemitism. In the report, the Committee on Education and the Workforce accuses Georgetown of spreading antisemitic rhetoric through its centers focused on Middle East studies and student groups at both the Hilltop Campus and Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q). A university spokesperson and program leaders disputed the report’s findings, highlighting the importance of academic freedom and human rights advocacy. A university spokesperson said, despite disagreement with the report’s findings, the university will work with the committee to foster a welcoming environment. “We disagree with the characterization of Georgetown in this report,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “However, we will continue to cooperate in good faith with the Committee while upholding our mission and continuing to promote an environment where all members of our community are welcomed and supported.” In July 2025, interim University President Robert M. Groves testified before the committee in a hearing about campus antisemitism,
where members of Congress questioned Groves about alleged acts of antisemitism on campus and criticized the university’s financial ties to Qatar. In response, Groves avoided defending individual faculty members but reaffirmed Georgetown’s commitment to interreligious dialogue and academic freedom. The report specifically focuses on Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) and Alaweed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU). It claims the CCAS and ACMCU perpetuate antisemitism and vilify Israel through their reading lists for students, curricula, and partnerships with organizations such as the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), a nonprofit organization focused on Middle Eastern academia. The report also includes allegations against other institutions, such as Harvard University and Northwestern University, whose leaders also testified before the committee at separate hearings. The report claims speakers hosted by the centers spread anti-Israel rhetoric, such as Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac, whom the report cites as saying “Palestinian resistance is… not fueled by hate, it’s the natural resistance that any occupied people, any colonized people would undertake.” It also claims Jewish members of MESA have left the organization due to anti-Israel sentiments, citing the Anti-Defamation
League — an organization that aims to combat antisemitism — which gave MESA a “major concerns” rating on its academic association integrity index. CCAS Director Fida Adely said the center uses Georgetown’s Jesuit values to foster dialogue about the Arab world. “CCAS is committed to rigorous interdisciplinary scholarship that is grounded in diverse perspectives,” Adely wrote to The Hoya. “In our 50 year history, we have maintained a strong commitment to ethical engagement with the issues that are of central importance to the Arab world. We are unequivocally against all forms of hate and bias, and fully embrace Georgetown’s Jesuit values of academic freedom and a commitment to justice and the common good.” The report also alleges that the center’s fundraising efforts for an endowed chair in Palestinian studies demonstrate Georgetown’s “one-sided narratives.” Currently, the university has a chair in Jewish civilization in the Center for Jewish Civilization. ACMCU Director Nader Hashemi said the report weakens the definition of antisemitism by wielding it against universities. “What I do worry about is that this weaponization of antisemitism to silence academic freedom and prevent any manifestation of discussion
Ajani Stella
Senior News Editor
Georgetown University and the union representing its bus drivers continue to clash over a proposal to move buses to a Maryland depot three months after the union first denounced the plan, according to emails obtained by The Hoya and interviews with drivers. The university informed Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) drivers in
January that it expected them to begin picking up and dropping off buses at a Hyattsville, Md., location rather than at the Hilltop Campus, prompting the union to send a cease-and-desist letter. The Maryland depot, approximately 15 miles from the Hilltop, houses the office for Abe’s Transportation, the third-party company that the university planned to subcontract drivers through last semester. Since January, drivers have argued that the move to Maryland would cost them time and mon-
ey and disrespects their position as university employees. Drivers also fear it would grant more authority to Abe’s Transportation, despite the university reversing its initial plan and pledging that drivers would remain direct employees of the university. The university has not yet required that drivers report to the Hyattsville location. Roberta Paul, the university’s senior director of employee and labor relations, informed union See GUTS, A7
HAAN JUN (RYAN) LEE/THE HOYA
Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) drivers have argued that the move to See REPORT, A7 Maryland would cost them time and money while disrespecting their position as employees.
NEWS
OPINION
GUIDE
SPORTS
First-Year Seminar Expansion
Seek Options for Community Fun
True Story of Rabih Alameddine
Baseball Topples Youngstown State
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Experts Condemn Strikes on Iran
Remove GUCR’s Benefits
‘Streetcar’ Cast Drives Stellar Show
Women’s Lacrosse Beats Marquette
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The Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences will begin requiring all students to take a first-year seminar.
Several experts on the Middle East criticized U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and highlighted unrest in the region at a March 24 event.
The Editorial Board encourages students to attend the Spring Concert and explore opportunities beyond the pre-professional.
Jennifer Peters (GRD ’27) argues Georgetown’s administration should uphold Jesuit values and remove GUCR’s access to benefits.
Isabelle Cialone (CAS ’27) sat down with Georgetown’s visiting professor Rabih Alameddine to examine his novel.
Juan Almanza (CAS ’29) says Nomadic Theatre and Black Theater Ensemble’s production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” is a must-see.
Published Fridays
The Georgetown baseball team controlled the entirety of its game against the Youngstown State Penguins, securing a 6-3 win.
The Georgetown University women’s lacrosse team rallied for an 11-10 comeback over the Marquette University Golden Eagles.
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