UNC-Chapel Hill student appeals honor court decision

UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student Maya Little, who was found responsible for damage to the Silent Sam statue that previously stood on the school’s campus, filed an appeal last Wednesday against the panel’s decision. 

According to the News & Observer, the Ph.D. student studying history has appealed the decision that was made in October by the student honor court panel. Little claimed three reasons for the appeal: insufficient evidence, violations of rights and the severity of the court’s sanctions.

Little walked out of her hearing in protest, citing that her trial was not fair and impartial because of the presence of a panelist who openly supported the upkeep of the Confederate statue. Organizations such as the UNC-CH’s chapter of the National Lawyers Guild came out in support of Little’s decision to walk out.

On Oct. 26, the court voted 3-2 that Little was responsible for damage made to the Confederate statue back in August during a demonstration.

The damage to the statue included Little pouring red ink on the base and smearing her own blood on it. Little was punished with a warning letter along with 18 hours of community service over a three-month span.

In the past, Little has publicly spoken out against the actions of UNC-CH towards black students at demonstrations and town halls at the university.