The student Senate at Loyola University in Chicago narrowly passed a resolution to divest from companies that do business with Israel. The companies named are Caterpillar, United Technologies Co., Raytheon and Valero.
The vote on March 26 was 15 to 15, with two abstentions. The voting was anonymous due to fear of reprisals.
The tie-breaking 31st vote was cast by the senate speaker, an intern for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the College Fix news website reported. The CAIR Chicago chapter assisted the Loyola Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, which sponsored the resolution, after it was temporarily suspended from holding campus activities following the harassment of a Jewish group on campus.
The Loyola student government passed a divestment resolution in March 2014, but it was vetoed by the student body president. The university said at the time that it would not adopt the proposal if passed. — jta