Haverford College President Wendy Raymond canceled a student-organized art event planned for Wednesday, Oct. 7, the third anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

The "Art Campaign in Solidarity with Palestine," sponsored by Haverford's chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, was permitted under college policy, Raymond said in a message to the campus community on Tuesday, Oct. 6. But the timing, she wrote, was "unnecessarily hurtful" and did not reflect the college's "core value of inclusion and belonging for all."

Raymond said she met with student organizers multiple times and asked them to reschedule. They declined.

She cited concern for the campus community and "ongoing safety risks" in making the decision. Raymond said the cancellation fell within her authority under the college's events policy and that the college would work with organizers to hold the event on a later date if they choose.

"I will not flinch from defending the right to freedom of expression at Haverford, as I have done vociferously during my tenure," Raymond wrote. "And at the same time, these freedoms come with responsibility …"

Raymond added that she could not remain silent on the need for community members to build a more inclusive campus.

The cancellation comes after Haverford reached a settlement in August in a federal lawsuit alleging antisemitism on campus. The case, Jews at Haverford v. The Corporation of Haverford College, was filed in May 2024 by the Deborah Project. A judge dismissed the suit twice, but a surviving breach-of-contract claim led to the settlement, Bi-College News reported in September.

As part of that agreement, Haverford updated its diversity and equity policies, added antisemitism training requirements and formed a nine-member College Antisemitism Committee. The Deborah Project appointed half the committee's members.

The college also overhauled its approach to campus events. An Ad Hoc Committee on Freedom of Expression, Learning, and Community, created in September 2024, issued recommendations in July 2025. A new event management and space use policy took effect before the 2026–27 academic year, according to a college update on combating bias.

No statement from the student organizers or Haverford's YDSA chapter was publicly available as of Tuesday. No response from the college's Jewish Student Union or the new Antisemitism Committee appeared in public records.

Raymond also announced a "Space of Reflection and Repose" for community members, open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8 and 9, in the Multicultural Center in Stokes Hall, Room 106.

No rescheduled date for the art event has been announced.

Upcoming community events:

  • Space of Reflection and Repose: 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Wednesday through Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8 and 9, Multicultural Center, Stokes Hall Room 106, Haverford College
  • Radnor Library Book Sale: Opens Oct. 16 with a member preview