An Open Letter for Peyrin's Reinstatement

"What larger systemic purpose does punishing Peyrin's inspiring opposition to genocide serve? The administration successfully made an example, but of themselves."

"A core element of Berkeley's Data Science curriculum has always been that data and computer science are inherently political. Regardless of your personal views, suspending a lecturer for reinforcing that our actions as programmers and scientists have human consequences completely subverts this message. In a hypothetical world where Peyrin spoke out in favor of Israel and got suspended, my response here would be the same. With our position at the forefront of big tech, Berkeley plays a vital role in shaping the narrative about what Data Science is. It's imperative for the future that we push it in the right direction. No matter how much easier our jobs would be if tech and data existed in a vacuum, we can't just ignore the human contexts of the technology we create or the data we gather: history has shown time and time again how this leads to strife, inequality, and disaster. The decision to suspend Peyrin--who has been nothing short of a stellar and incredibly hard-working teacher in all the classes I've taken with him--just for reminding students that their actions have consequences sends all the wrong messages in this regard."

"As a former CS student and tech worker, it's time we all recognize how the technology we learn during our degree and develop at our workplaces form the digital infrastructure for injustice from ICE disappearances in our communities here in the US to the technological backbone for Israeli occupation, apartheid, and genocide against our people in Palestine. Peyrin's brave, powerful, and non-stop advocacy is a direct rejection to the weaponization of technology and a direct call-to-action to all students, faculty, and workers that we all must rise up to force all genocide-profiteering institutions like UC Berkeley to end their direct entanglement in the Israeli settler-colonial project of occupation & genocide!"

"Shame on Berkeley. Free Palestine 🇵🇸"

"You made us sign this: UC Berkeley's core principles emphasize diversity, integrity, dignity, freedom of expression, and active engagement. Yet you are undermining those who seek the freedom to actively express injustice and indignity within our society."

"Everyone who has taken a course with Peyrin has seen him deliver some of the best lectures in the EECS department and attests to how Peyrin is one of the most supportive lecturers in the department. By doing this, you are depriving students of education for no reason other than to distract us from a global genocide. This is especially true since Peyrin has taken all necessary steps to keep his opinions about Palestine separate from his lectures. It is cruel what the university is doing. As a graduate student at UC Berkeley who has been here for several years, this has changed my view of the university. My fellow graduate students agree with me, and we will no longer support the university as we enter the workforce."

"I've worked on course staff under Peyrin for 3 semesters and I've seen his incredible work ethic firsthand. He's always the first to respond to questions from students or staff, he works far past midnight to keep his courses running smoothly, and he does so for two classes that he teaches simultaneously. He continued to operate like this even during his hunger strike without any visible effect on his quality of work. Peyrin is the backbone of the undergrad CS department. This a blatant violation of free speech and a terrible loss for a department who already undervalues his work."

"truth advocate"

"Mr. Hermalin knows what a great educator Peyrin is based on the countless testimonies from his students and colleagues and his high Ratemyprofessor rating (4.8/5). Yet at the end of his Investigation Letter, Mr. Hermalin still brought up the possibility of firing Peyrin on the basis of his own ridiculous subjective opinions (namely, after class time = class time; and looking fatigue due to a hunger strike = political advocacy), knowing perfectly well that such a termination would end this 26-year-old promising beloved young lecturer's teaching career, for a crime he did not commit. The viciousness and the total disregard for UCB staff's well-being of this Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost is astonishingly appalling."

"We must defend the right of staff and instructors to speak outside of the classroom in support of human rights; we must defend the right of staff and instructors to take a stance on issues. It's notable that Peyrin Kao speaking briefly outside of class hours about his principles and about human rights has led to his suspension, while rallies and speakers like those hosted by Turning Point USA, which lead to emails from campus warning queer students about their safety should they go near, are allowed to occur without any blocking from campus. The campus finds speech outside of the classroom fine if it is dangerous to queer students, but abominable if it is in support of human lives. As Foucault taught us, all speech is political - and lack of speech can be also. In STEM fields, we must be very aware of what our work leads to - the kind of speech we perform in our actions and words. (In my field, physics, the specter of the atomic bomb haunts us still.) Surely it is our duty as STEM staff and instructors to speak about what our work can lead to, and the ethical care we must have."

"As a former student of Peyrin Kao, I must say he was an outstanding lecturer. His class was always informative, and I distinctly remember how eager I was to attend each day. In no shape or form was his defense of Palestinian HUMAN rights detracting from his ability to teach or quality of his instruction. The punishment he has received by campus administration is a dark, bloody stain on the EECS department and the entire university. I personally recommend that prospective young minds seeking a computer science education look elsewhere. Berkeley has chosen to punish a star lecturer and a star human being."

"UC Berkeley must allow its employees to exercise their free speech rights, to draw attention to genocide, and to uphold justice and solidarity."

"Universities are not meant to be factories that pop out technically adept robots. Higher education should nurture students into better human beings for the betterment of our entire society. Peyrin Kao is demonstrating the most important lesson a student can learn: as engineers, we cannot bury our heads in the sand, telling ourselves that our only responsibility is to deliver within tolerances and on time. We MUST take responsibility for the deeds that are done with the technologies and tools that we create. This is especially important for engineers, as multiple sociological studies have shown that engineering students are disproportionately predisposed to authoritarian and fascist ideologies(1). I would hope that the fact of UC Berkeley's moral duties would be a sufficient motivator, but if not, then maybe they would find shame more compelling. The tide of public opinion has shifted. Half of Americans believe that what is occurring in Gaza is a genocide(2). Being on the wrong side of history in this would be such a dark stain on the reputation of the institution. (1) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349110866_Science_education_against_the_rise_of_fascist_and_authoritarian_movements_towards_the_development_of_a_pedagogy_for_democracy (2) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/28/half-of-us-voters-believe-israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza-poll-says"

"I’m a UC Berkeley EECS grad, class of 1987. Extremely disappointed and disgusted by the UC Regents’ persecution of supporters of Palestine. Restore Free Speech to Berkeley!"

"UC Berkeley, the world is watching you and your reputation is at risk."

"How could UC Berkeley claim to be reputable institution of higher education while suppressing their lecturers from teaching about the ethics and global impact of the subject which they are teaching? Peyrin's suspension makes me embarrassed to be a Berkeley student. The university cannot promote itself as a center for activism and the home of the free speech movement while punishing students and staff for their free speech."

"Peyrin, despite his irreplaceable support for the CS department and dedicated work to ensuring UC Berkeley's CS department actually works at scale, has been suspended for wholly peacefully exercising free speech that some powerful figures disagree with. The same school that puts up police cordons for TPUSA/BCR events and prides itself on honoring free speech should not prevent a lecturer from exercising his opinions outside of the classroom."

"Stop silencing voices that are speaking up against a genocide, Peyrin did nothing wrong."

"Cowardice is never a good look."

"I cannot believe that simply eating the same amount of food as another human being would warrant removal from an academic position. If the concern is that Peyrin's academic performance as a teacher will suffer: look at his track record. Look at all of the students who've taken his classes. Look at the testimony of how far above and beyond he goes to make sure his students succeed. It's preposterous. And secondly, and more importantly: if the worry is that not eating enough will make his teaching suffer, shouldn't the focus be on the fact that hundreds, thousands of children are also not eating enough? That they are suffering? That they are dying? Shouldn't the focus be on making sure they can eat, so Peyrin can eat? If speaking out against injustice is in violation of the rules, then those rules must be torn to pieces. Those who uphold them and those who defend them must be thrown from their positions. It is always the case that the institutions of the status quo will support any injustice that is advantageous to the power of the status quo. Therefore there is nothing special, nothing sacred, about the laws those institutions make. They are just words on paper, and can, and in fact should, be defied when those words run contrary to justice. To do otherwise is a monstrous thing. MLK Jr. knew this. So did John Brown. Peyrin Kao is holding the torch of justice high, and now we have to choose whether to follow him."

"As someone who worked for several semesters with Peyrin and took many of the classes he taught, I find the university's decision to suspend him shockingly punitive and unjust. It is an open secret that without his active presence in teaching Berkeley's CS undergrads, the department's courses will begin to strain and break under the immense load required to run them. As my friend and colleague Kenny has already mentioned, his commitment to doing everything possible to teach students even when courses are packed with hundreds of students is beyond compare. I cannot personally count the amount of times course staff has been overwhelmed or unsure of what to do and been saved by Peyrin's expertise and thorough pedagogical commitment. We know that since any solution offered by the university that stops short of his full reinstatement will be woefully inadequate for the students of Berkeley, that must be the only solution we are willing to accept."

"Peyrin has a heart for all people and should never be punished for speaking out against genocide. Is US Berkely Israelic? Is your boss Israelic? Or bribed by Israel? Shame and you! Start putting your students and lecturers first. Be human, not corrupted!!!"

"This last semester I have heard my roommate thank god for Peyrin's patience and diligence daily. He is such an amazing lecturer and clearly cares about his students, a rare trait at Berkeley. Suspending Peyrin is anti-intellectual, anti-Free Speech, and downright embarrassing. The university administration should be ashamed at themselves, and I am glad to see them struggle through the shitshow a semester without Peyrin will undoubtably be."

"As a former course staff member who taught different courses than Peyrin, I understand that there is so much that goes on behind the scenes and Peyrin is the most involved professor I've ever seen in not just one, but multiple courses. He sacrifices so much just to have his students learn as much as they can without the payment he deserves to receives, but he doesn't care about that -- he just wants everyone to have the ability to learn. Peyrin clearly mentions to his students that they can leave whenever he talks about Palestine and there should not be punishment for free speech, especially at UC Berkeley and when it isn't affecting students' learning. Without Peyrin, UC Berkeley's computer science department will severely suffer and the university will soon see the effects. I'm proud to have taken two courses with Peyrin and am ashamed of Berkeley."

"Shame on UC Berkley. The world is watching!"