The University of California, Berkeley suspended lecturer Peyrin Kao without pay for the spring semester after university leaders concluded he repeatedly made pro-Palestinian political remarks and publicized a 38-day hunger strike during class time. Executive vice chancellor and provost Benjamin Hermalin wrote that Kao’s in-class comments and actions constituted using the classroom for political advocacy and violated regents’ policy limiting instruction to course-relevant material. Kao denies wrongdoing and intends to appeal, saying the suspension is politically motivated and part of a pattern of disciplinary actions aimed at faculty and students critical of Israel. Civil liberties and faculty-rights groups have criticized the suspension and signaled potential legal challenges. Academic affairs offices nationwide may review syllabi, guest-speaker policies and faculty guidance on in-class political expression as institutions seek to balance free-speech protections with classroom relevance and instructional integrity.