NYU Law School Bar Association could oust president over Hamas comment

The NYU Law School Bar Association is voting on whether to oust their president after she sparked fury by claiming Hamas atrocities against Israel were ‘necessary’. Ryna Workman (pictured left), 24, conflated the internationally-recognized terror group’s attacks with ‘Palestinian resistance’ and claimed Israel ‘bears full responsibility’.

The non-binary student now faces being removed from her post as the SBA as the group revealed ‘multiple students’ have received ‘death threats’ due to her article. 

Hamas, which controls the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, attacked Israel on Saturday in the worst breach of the country’s defenses since Arab armies waged war in 1973. Israel has responded with air strikes on Gaza.

Distancing themselves from Workman’s Monday article – headed ‘Message from the President’ – the student group said Tuesday it did not ‘write, approve, or see’ it. ‘The ‘Message from the President’ reflects their personal views and does not represent the views of SBA as an organization or any of its officers,’ the group said in a statement.

They added that board members had voted to ‘initiate the removal’ of Workman and they would conduct hearings from October 17 as part of the process. ‘Multiple students have received significant targeted harassment and death threats,’ they said. ‘We are horrified by these vile personal attacks and threats to students’ safety. The doxxing of any NYU Law student is unacceptable and disturbing.’

The group issued a second statement on Wednesday to clarify that it condemned Hamas violence. ‘As the violence in Israel persists, and we continue to struggle with feelings of anger and sorrow at the tragic loss of innocent lives, we need to make several things abundantly clear on behalf of the NYU Law Board of Trustees and our Law School as a whole,’ they said. 

‘NYU Law unequivocally condemns the recent terrorist acts and the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas in Israel. The murder and kidnapping of civilians, and the use of sexual violence and the separation and punishment of children, are all abominable and atrocious. We want to say, loud and clear, to our community: Any statement that does not recognize this brutality does not reflect the values of NYU Law,’ they continued.

As well as studying at NYU, Workman completed their undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina and also studied at the University of Warwick in the UK on an exchange program – where they took classes in international law.

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