Two USF students faced disciplinary action from the university for their involvement with a pair of protests at the end of April.

Joseph Charry was suspended and Victoria Hinckley was expelled from USF after recent code of conduct hearings, according to a Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Instagram statement.

“Joseph and Victoria were both found guilty of bogus charges and unfairly targeted by USF admin as leaders of the encampment,” the post said.

As a result of the suspension and expulsion, SDS planned a protest for Tuesday afternoon right outside of USF to call for the university to reverse the rulings and readmit Hinckley.

Hinckley and Charry faced the following student code of conduct violations, according to a June 9 post:

• Encouraging others to violate university standards
• Disruptive conduct
• Failing to comply with law enforcement or administration
• Failing to comply with university policies related to health and safety
• Failing to follow local, state or federal law
• Illegal possession of a firearm, weapon or explosives. This includes any weapon used to cause or threaten physical harm

It is unclear what charges they were found guilty of.

Related: Pro-Palestine encampment protest at USF broken up by tear gas – The Oracle

Hinckley and Charry were not among those arrested at the protests on April 29-30. Neither responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.

Between the two protests, law enforcement arrested 13 demonstrators, including five USF students, three alumni and one WUSF employee. Althea Johnson, a university spokesperson, said students who were arrested may face additional sanctions from the university.

Criminal charges against protesters range from misdemeanors, including unlawful assembly and resisting arrest, to felonies, such as resisting an officer with violence and possession of a firearm on school property.

The USF Student Code of Conduct – Regulation 6.0021 defines each of the conduct violations Hinckley and Charry face and lists potential consequences, including suspension and expulsion from the university.

Suspension can be enforced by Cynthia DeLuca, the vice president of student success, to ensure the safety and well-being of the USF community and to prevent “an ongoing threat, disruption or interference,” according to the regulation.

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Expulsion can be enforced when a student “is considered not in good conduct standing permanently with the university,” according to the regulation. Hinckley’s expulsion barred her from graduating and stripped her from her degree, according to the SDS statement.

Hinckley was previously suspended and barred from walking at graduation before her latest conduct hearing resulted in her expulsion on June 7, according to an Instagram statement from the national SDS.

Charry, an international student, is at risk of losing his visa as a result of his suspension from the university until May 2025, according to the statement.

The statement called the conduct charges a “blatant attack on free speech.”

Johnson could not confirm the results of the conduct hearings, citing student privacy laws.

Related: Several protestors at USF arrested during pro-Palestine encampment protest – The Oracle

Hinckley said the conduct charges violate her First Amendment rights, according to a Bay News 9 article.

“They’re attacking me for being a student organizer and leading protests,” Hinckley said in the article.

Related: USF can place protest restrictions, First Amendment expert says – The Oracle

While the post mentioned that SDS is also facing “the same bogus charges,” SDS was suspended until December 2025 after causing a disruption on campus a week before the protests at the end of April, according to Johnson.

On April 29, Charry told The Oracle that the university does not have the right to tell members that SDS is a “banned group.”

“We’re protesters and we have the right to protest,” he said. “We have the right to free assembly. We know our rights.”

SDS and supporters are calling for USF to reverse the decisions against Charry and Hinckley through call-ins and off-campus demonstrations.