NEW ORLEANS — Tulane University's Dean of Students has sent an email to students warning them of suspensions or expulsions if they are found to have hosted parties or gatherings of more than 15 people.
The warning came after reports of a series of Fourth of July weekend parties hosted or attended by Tulane students.
“Over the weekend, in spite of our pleas to the contrary, many of our students living in New Orleans chose to have parties and large gatherings where social distancing wasn't being practiced and face masks weren't being worn. They then saw fit to post this all-over social media,” said Erica Woodley, the university’s Dean of Students.
All local universities are grappling with how to reopen schools this fall with many opting for hybrid options, skipping fall breaks, and having students taking exams remotely and not returning to campus after Thanksgiving break.
New Orleans had one of the biggest outbreaks of coronavirus in the country in the virus’s early stages in the United States.
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Woodley’s warning to students came as she called the actions of students who hosted or attended the parties as “disrespectful, selfish and dangerous and not in line with Tulane values.”
Woodley asked students to hold their friends and peers accountable and report violations to an online reporting system or by calling Tulane Police at 504-865-5381.