A video showing a Seattle University administrator removing a Palestinian flag from a graduating student's hands during commencement has drawn more than 1 million views on social media, thrusting the Jesuit university into a national debate over free expression and the war in the Middle East.
The video, shared widely on TikTok and Instagram, shows Seattle University Provost Shane P. Martin approaching Sumeyya Osman as she crossed the stage during the university's June commencement ceremony.
The footage appears to show Martin taking a Palestinian flag from the student's hands before she continues across the stage.
The incident comes as colleges and universities across the United States continue to grapple with tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war and the broader conflict involving Iran and Israel, issues that have fueled protests, encampments and demonstrations on campuses nationwide.
Lily Bergeron, a graduating student who said she witnessed the encounter, described the interaction as forceful.
"He was not polite and asked her to take it off — he did not try and take it away from her, like kindly," Bergeron told Fox 13. "He yanked it out of her arm and then forced her arm behind her."
Osman has publicly criticized Martin's actions, alleging she did not want to be touched because of her Muslim faith.
“I told him that I don’t shake hands, obviously because he’s a man and I’m a Muslim,” she said at a press conference held by CAIR Washington days later.
“But then he just proceeded to try and take the flag away from me aggressively.
“I was shaking a bit. “I asked the person next to me, ‘Do you think anything is going to happen to me? I’m afraid. What if the ceremony ends and they pull me to the side and something happens to me?’”
In a statement, Martin apologized for what he described as a misunderstanding.
"I did not observe or hear any request from the student that she wished to avoid physical contact as part of her Muslim faith," Martin said.
"If I had known the student did not want to be touched, I would have honored the request just as I did for at least a dozen other graduating students who signaled clearly they did not wish to be touched."
Martin said he regretted that the controversy had drawn attention away from the commencement ceremony and the accomplishments of graduates.
Seattle University said commencement guidelines prohibit items that are not aligned with onstage activities and are intended to ensure a consistent ceremony for graduates and families.
"Like many higher education institutions, Seattle University maintains guidelines on what can be displayed on stage to ensure a dignified and consistent ceremony for all students and families," the university said in a statement.
The university added that it remains committed to fostering dialogue on contentious issues while maintaining an inclusive environment.
The incident has generated widespread reaction online, with supporters of the student and defenders of the university debating whether the removal of the flag reflected an effort to enforce ceremony rules or an attempt to suppress a political statement.