Vanderbilt University

===Student controversies===
In 1980, several Vanderbilt students, one of whom was African-American, decided to hold [[Nat Turner]] Day to protest [[Kappa Alpha Order]]'s celebration of Old South Day, when KA brothers dressed as Confederate States Army personnel.<ref name="tennesseanblacktolead">{{cite news |last1=Shoulders |first1=Carolyn |title=Black To Lead Protest of Fraternity Dixie Ball |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/112025076/?terms=%22nat%2Bturner%2Bday%22 |access-date=June 16, 2018 |work=The Tennessean |date=April 2, 1980}}</ref> The university administrators sided with KA, banned Nat Turner Day, and let KA parade in their Confederate costumes.<ref name="nashscenewherethe">{{cite news |last1=Suddath |first1=Claire |title=Where the Freaks Are |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/article/13010627/where-the-freaks-are |access-date=June 2, 2018 |work=Nashville Scene |date=August 26, 2004}}</ref> The African-American student was called a homophobic slur and beaten up by the KA chapter.<ref name="nashscenewherethe"/>

On November 4, 2010, two anonymous former members of the Vanderbilt chapter, an alumnus and a senior student, alleged they were evicted from [[Beta Upsilon Chi]], a [[Christian fraternity (fraternities and sororities)|Christian fraternity]], for being gay.<ref name="insidevandy.com">{{Cite web |date=2011-12-09 |title=Former Beta Upsilon Chi members allege unfair treatment based on sexual orientation &#124; InsideVandy |url=http://www.insidevandy.com/drupal/node/15386 |access-date=2022-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209080908/http://www.insidevandy.com/drupal/node/15386 |archive-date=9 December 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-11-12 |title=Vanderbilt Christian Frat Ousted Gays &#124; News &#124; The Advocate |url=http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/09/Christian_Fraternity_Accused_of_Antigay_Discrimination/ |access-date=2022-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112052014/http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/09/Christian_Fraternity_Accused_of_Antigay_Discrimination/ |archive-date=12 November 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first=Melissa|last=Wright|title=US fraternity comes under fire for expelling gay members |publisher=[[Pink Paper]]|date=November 10, 2010|url=http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/4247/10/11/2010/us-fraternity-comes-under-fire-for-expelling-gay-members.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319054830/http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/4247/10/11/2010/us-fraternity-comes-under-fire-for-expelling-gay-members.aspx|archive-date=March 19, 2012}}</ref>

In the wake of a [[Christian Legal Society v. Martinez|U.S. Supreme Court decision]] in 2011, four Christian student organizations were placed on probation due to non-compliance with the university's nondiscrimination policy, which requires student groups to accept all students and forbids them from requiring that their officers share the "beliefs, goals and values" embodied in the group.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/26/professor-says-vanderbilt-suppressing-christian-student-groups-amid-shutdown/ |work=Fox News |title=Professor Says Vanderbilt Suppressing Christian Student Groups Amid Shutdown Threats | date=September 26, 2011}}</ref> Controversy continued to surround this issue throughout 2011 and 2012, culminating in a proposed state law exempting student organizations from nondiscrimination policies. Although the bill passed both houses of the [[Tennessee Legislature]], it was vetoed by [[Bill Haslam|Governor Bill Haslam]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Tennessee Senate Bill 3597 History |url=http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB3597&ga=107|access-date=July 25, 2012}}</ref>

In March 2015, three [[swastikas]], a symbol of [[Nazi]] [[antisemitism]], were found spray-painted in the elevator and basement inside the house of [[Alpha Epsilon Pi]], one of the historically Jewish fraternities on campus.<ref name="tennesseantamburin">{{Cite web|last=Tamburin|first=Adam|title=Swastikas painted in Jewish fraternity at Vanderbilt|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2015/03/17/vanderbilt-hate-crime-jewish-fraternity-swastikas/24887351/|access-date=2022-02-05|website=The Tennessean|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="reutersswastikas">{{Cite web|agency=Reuters|title=Three swastikas were spray-painted in a Jewish fraternity at Vanderbilt University|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/r-swastikas-painted-in-jewish-fraternity-in-tennessees-vanderbilt-university-2015-3|access-date=2022-02-05|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="jerusalempost">{{Cite news|title=Vanderbilt University investigating Swastikas painted in Jewish fraternity|url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/vanderbilt-university-investigating-swastikas-painted-in-jewish-fraternity-394193|access-date=2022-02-05|website=The Jerusalem Post &#124; JPost.com|language=en-US}}</ref> The campus [[Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life|Hillel]] chapter called it "a malicious attack intended to bring to mind the horrors of [[the Holocaust]], to force us to feel different, endangered and isolated."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-03-17|title=Swastikas painted on Jewish frat house at Vanderbilt|url=https://www.jta.org/2015/03/17/united-states/swastikas-painted-on-jewish-frat-house-at-vanderbilt-university|access-date=2022-02-05|website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|language=en-US}}</ref> The news, characterized as a "[[hate crime]]" by university officials, made national and international headlines, including in Israel.<ref name="tennesseantamburin" /><ref name="reutersswastikas" /><ref name="jerusalempost" />

A 2015 survey reported that 20% of undergraduate students were sexually assaulted in 2014–2015.<ref name=tnsurveyassaulted>{{cite news |last1=Tamburin|first1=Adam|title=Vanderbilt survey: Hundreds encounter sexual assault |url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2016/01/26/vanderbilt-survey-hundreds-encounter-sexual-assault/79354560/ |access-date=January 30, 2016|work=The Tennessean|date=January 26, 2016}}</ref> Meanwhile, as of 2015, ''[[The Tennessean]]'' reports that the university is "under review by federal education officials, spurred by six current and former female students who filed a complaint about how Vanderbilt has handled cases of sexual misconduct."<ref name=tnsurveyassaulted />

In April 2016 and June 2016, two former Vanderbilt football players were found guilty of charges related to the videotaped rape of an unconscious woman in a dorm room.<ref name="brandonvandenburgrapist">{{cite web |url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2016/06/18/vanderbilt-rape-trial-brandon-vandenburg/86052710/|title=Brandon Vandenburg guilty on all counts in Vanderbilt rape retrial|website=The Tennessean|first=Stacey|last=Barchenger|date=June 19, 2016|access-date=June 20, 2016}}</ref> Cory Batey was convicted of aggravated rape, aggravated sexual battery, facilitation of aggravated rape, and attempted aggravated rape,<ref name="corybatesrapist">{{cite web|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2016/04/09/jury-cory-batey-guilty-vanderbilt-rape-retrial/82769934/|title=Cory Batey found guilty of aggravated rape in retrial|website=The Tennessean |first=Stacey|last=Barchenger|date=April 9, 2016|access-date=June 20, 2016}}</ref> while Brandon Vandenburg was convicted of aggravated rape, aggravated sexual battery, and unlawful photography.<ref name="brandonvandenburgrapist"/><ref name="vandenburgrapist">{{cite web |url=http://wreg.com/2016/06/18/brandon-vandenburg-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-vanderbilt-rape-case/|title=Brandon Vandenburg found guilty on all charges in Vanderbilt rape case|website=WREG-TV|date=June 18, 2016|access-date=June 20, 2016}}</ref> The two are among four former football players charged with crimes related to the case.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-vanderbilt-football-player-convicted-rape-20160618-snap-story.html|title=Former Vanderbilt football player again convicted of rape |website=Los Angeles Times|date=June 18, 2016|access-date=June 20, 2016}}</ref>

In July 2020, a white fraternity brother from [[Delta Kappa Epsilon]] was caught on video utilizing a racial slur along with white [[Kappa Alpha Theta]] sisters, wearing what appeared to be a mock durags. Hundreds of students dropped out of their fraternities and sororities, writing op-eds condemning their own fraternities and sororities for the student newspaper, [[The Vanderbilt Hustler]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schulman |first=Max |date=2020-07-14 |title=SCHULMAN: Drop. - The Vanderbilt Hustler |url=https://vanderbilthustler.com/2020/07/14/schulman-drop/ |access-date=2023-08-29}}</ref> The controversy surrounding this sparked a national "Abolish Greek Life" movement at multiple other universities, including but not limited to the [[University of Richmond]], [[Duke University]], [[Emory University]], [[American University]], [[Northwestern University]], and the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Marcus |first=Ezra |date=2020-08-01 |title=The War on Frats |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/style/abolish-greek-life-college-frat-racism.html |access-date=2023-08-25 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In February 2021, the university released a statement regarding the death of a construction worker at the Rothschild College construction site.<ref>{{Cite web | last2=Oung | first2=Katherine | last1=Lele | first1=Aaditi | title= Construction worker found dead on Rothschild College construction site | url=https://vanderbilthustler.com/2022/02/23/construction-worker-found-dead-on-rothschild-college-construction-site/ | access-date=2023-04-27 | website=The Vanderbilt Hustler| date=February 23, 2022 }}</ref> Additionally, the university confirmed in February 2023 to [[The Vanderbilt Hustler]] that there had been another on-campus construction death in July 2021 at the [[Owen Graduate School of Management]]. The university stated that the deaths were of natural causes and not work-site related. Students have since organized the "Dores Worker Solidarity Network", which aims to improve construction practices in Nashville amid worker deaths and wage disputes on campus.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Freed |first=Benjamin |title=University acknowledges another on-campus construction death, students launch Dores Worker Solidarity Network |url=https://vanderbilthustler.com/2023/02/23/university-acknowledges-another-on-campus-construction-death-students-launch-dores-worker-solidarity-network/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=The Vanderbilt Hustler|date=February 23, 2023 }}</ref>

In 2024, university administrators blocked the Vanderbilt Student Government from voting on a [[Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions]] resolution following [[Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip (2023–present)|Israeli invasion of Gaza]]. Students protested with sit-ins, including a protest in which the university suspended 27 students and the university police department arrested a ''[[Nashville Scene]]'' reporter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramirez |first=Alejandro |date=2024-03-26 |title=Scene Reporter Arrested at Vanderbilt University |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthewind/scene-reporter-arrested/article_522c14b8-eba6-11ee-b344-ebb6b5f6f03e.html |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Nashville Scene |language=en}}</ref>