IVOR CHEN AND ANTONIO RUIZ SPEAK TO THE MEDIA; RUIZ STARTS GOFUNDME


On Friday, April 23, at 4 pm the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) hosted a press conference in support of Antonio Ruiz and Ivor Chen. In their first live public statements, Antonio Ruiz and Ivor Chen detailed their experiences with the University of Illinois Office for Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR) and made the case for change. Representatives from the GEO also spoke in support of Antonio and Ivor. Local reporters from the News Gazette, WCIA3, the Daily Illini, Illinois Newsroom, and FOX Illinois were in attendance.

See the whole press conference for yourself, here: https://youtu.be/yOyBb3lk1s8 

At the press conference, a GoFundMe for Antonio was announced. As of now, Antonio is facing a one-year dismissal from the University, which comes with (1) eviction from his University housing and (2) an end to his University teaching assistantship, which is Antonio’s sole source of income. Please donate if you are able, here: https://gofund.me/5a7e118f If reinstated, Antonio will return any amount collected through the GoFundMe platform to the individual donors.

Read reports from local news organizations here: 

• https://www.news-gazette.com/news/ui-grad-students-dismissed-for-testing-non-compliance-speak-out/article_8263c5e8-f524-5155-81d4-d7f720a795d3.html 
• https://www.wcia.com/news/u-of-i-student-dismissed-for-failing-to-comply-with-covid-19-testing/ 
• https://dailyillini.com/news/2021/04/25/graduate-students-call-on-ui-to-readmit-dismissed-student/ 
• https://foxillinois.com/news/local/u-of-i-graduate-students-speak-out-about-disiplinary-process 

One notable correction to some of the reporting above: some local media have incorrectly quoted from the press conference that Antonio is currently appealing this disciplinary decision. Antonio has exhausted all of his official mechanisms for appeal, and is reliant on your support to pressure the UIUC administration to fix this injustice. 

Antonio’s pay was frozen the date his disciplinary appeal was denied by OSCR, however Antonio was not told to stop work--and his direct supervisors continued to assign him work--until April 20th. This constitutes approximately 10 business days of wage theft by the University, totaling approximately $1150 in wages. The GEO has filed an L0 grievance in an attempt to remedy Antonio’s wages.

Antonio has also officially been removed from all of his academic courses as of April 20th.

SIGN ANTONIO'S PETITION HERE: https://www.change.org/Reinstate-Antonio-Ruiz 

To email the University in support of Antonio, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/Antonio-Email-Campaign