I’m a little confused as to what’s happening here. I presume the school’s not the one that banned them from campus since they still have jobs at the school, so…did they have a criminal trial and were found guilty? That seems to be the implication since Leslie says they have to “appeal”, but they were only arrested yesterday, weren’t they? That seems insanely fast.
If the school wants them to work there wouldn’t the *school* appeal? If they don’t, what does it matter if Leslie and Robin are legally allowed on campus or not?
Wait, did a time skip happen and there was a whole Phoenix Wright trial with Raidah getting them out of jail? That’s amazing if that’s what happened, wild if we skipped that, but Robin’s line implies they’ve only missed one class and it’s still the same day.
Bittersweet
They were CT’d, which is a ban enforced by school security (assuming it works like when my husband has people CT’d from his business; he can call the cops on them and they have to leave.) I don’t think a trial is necessary for one of those to be imposed, only to get like punishment on top of it. My husband’s never had to appear in court to testify or anything.
And Becky, Dorothy, and Raidah called a lawyer which I guess answered and was like “what are you talking about, you need a bail bondsman to get them out.” Or at least, my relative that got arrested made bail before we hired his lawyer. The bail can be posted same day.
Bittersweet
(Obv then the lawyer was like “and yeah I’ll represent your friends, that’ll be a $70,000 retaining fee”)
Random832
can state universities *do* that?
Silphael
Well, I don’t know it works in the US for that specific thing, but in some “justice” systems there are “immediate trials” that are an option, and that are used very often against protestors.
Most people in law and most protestors would know to refuse them, because it’s litterally made to incriminate anyone going there (and it’s also set in a way to spread fear).
Sharizard
This is probably not what happened. I’m guessing it’s more detained overnight, then released without formal charge but with the possibility of charges pending. At worse they currently have a citation/legal summon, with details to be handled later.
The real problem here will be the no-trespass order (i.e. not allowed on campus). These can be issued but they’re oh-so problematic. There’s no formal hearing by the University, so due process hasn’t been followed. The AAUP (the closest thing to a Faculty Union) will have issues with this, but i don’t think IU has proper Union-grievance protections.
Honestly, i can see this resulting in Robin winning her appeal, because she’s a former congresswoman and it’s bad optics to do this for her, and Leslie being stuck with the ban.
Yeah, I’m confused by how she’s banned from campus but not fired? I thought those kinds of things with trespassing were usually determined by the aggrieved party ie the school.
showler
Firing someone requires a process and you have to follow rules. Especially if there’s any kind od union involved. Banning them from campus probably doesn’t require you to follow those rules and then you can use them not being able to do their jobs as your excuse for firing them.
Big Z
I’d suspect something along the lines of “you are suspended without pay until all your appeals are exhausted” just to tie things in a neat little bow without ever actually “firing” anyone which might run afoul of union agreements or state-level rules or some such.
thejeff
It’s possible, but apparently in the real life event this is based on, similar bans were applied to arrested protesters and appeals were routinely and quickly granted to students – not sure if there were any professors involved.
It’s mostly there to have more serious legal tools to use against non-students who got caught protesting again.
Big Z
I’m honestly trying hard for my own sanity to not look at the real-world thing this is based on, but “cops did a bunch of stupid shit, which was immediately unwound by admins/prosecutors” is also pretty on-brand.
Of course, in the real world, Leslie no longer has a class to teach anyway, because Gender Studies was eliminated as wrongthink.
Rook
I would think it would be more of suspended with/without pay until a board convened until a decision would be made. Maybe the law enforcement told them the wrong thing?
Also, I am curious about the action the campus took. It been a good while but doesn’t school campus are fine with protest as long as its peaceful and in one place? I remember back in my college days there were protests in the campus square and was pretty much left on its on as long as no violence came from it?
thejeff
In this case in the real world, which this echoes, the school had been okay with protests in the Meadow in the past, but changed the rules to ban them when the Gaza protest started. This actually turned into a big legal fight and the protestors came back and stayed for months I think.
While the message of the protest almost certainly played a role, it wouldn’t surprise me if the intent to camp out indefinitely was a big part of it. I don’t know if previous protests there that were allowed had been long term encampments or more like rallies or marches.
Legally it won’t hold up. You can’t criminally trespass someone who had a legal right to be somewhere.
In reality, which never cares about whats legal, cops can do whatever they want and so can rich people. Its up to the poors to spend more of their money to fight it.
Adept
Considering the ICE-”agent” perpetuated murder in Minneapolis, ”legally” means less and less in the US right now.
The Trump regime is speed running fascism, and it doesn’t seem like there is any effective resistance to oppose them.
Sharizard
A university absolutely can issue no-trespass orders. Most likely it’s been done, from a purely legal standpoint anyway, based on the encampment and having not dispersed after the time limit was reached for the lawful dispersal order.
I’m guessing this has been issued to everyone caught at the protest as a sort of blanket ban, with the intent of taking out as many protestors as possible. It’s the type of thing that would fall apart very quickly under legal scrutiny, especially in relation to two employees of the University, even more so since there was no formal hearing or due process on the part of the university. They may be working on the expectation that people don’t know their rights and won’t try to appeal.
But overall the point of such a no-trespass order would be to take out as many protestors as possible, especially ones like Jocelyn, who aren’t part of the University in any meaningful way. Most likely, the no-trespass will be dropped for students and faculty members, and kept for anyone else who was there. (with the possible exception of Leslie, because there’s a potential funny in Robin getting to stay while Leslie gets kicked out).
Ivkra
No, this doesn’t work. The university absolutely can say “Nobody is allowed to be in X place” and then consider people (faculty, students, etc.) who have a right (and obligation) to be in other parts of campus as trespassing for being in the parts they were told to leave.
In other, less-horrible situations, it’s not even a bad thing. Faculty have to be on campus to teach, research, and advise, but if the university caught a professor just hanging out in a locked dorm after-hours, without having been legitimately* let in by a resident of that dorm, you would very much want that to be considered trespassing.
*for example, in case you’re thinking catastrophically, “professor of math whose kid just started a bio degree and realized at 10pm that she forgot her inhaler, so she unlocks the dorm so her mom can bring up the spare inhaler.”
interesting it’s considered ‘criminal tresspassing’ but other than a sub/replacement, imagine if leslie just did some zoom meetings as class tho i don’t think she’d get a paycheck for that
jason is either gonna be happy or find it tedious to cover for robin tho
not really? Not sure how long classes are but remember: When they went to find Raidah, classes were just about starting, and here Robin is saying if they hurry the can make it to the last few minutes, so it wasn’t that long.
I suspect the story was longer when Sarah was in the first panel, but it couldn’t be a simple redraw the story with a different primary character, so we dropped a few strips.
Connections in the finding out where the two were, and getting them released (probably some bail or such). But now they need Tony’s connection to get the two instructors working again (and good luck with that, since he doesn’t like buffoonery).
It’s kind of been a whirlwind of a few months for her, too. Dumped her electoral staff, picked up Becky as an emergency assistant, got way too invested in her life, quit the race, got re-hired as a professor, and then got banned after being at a protest that she probably didn’t actually care that much about just because her crush was there.
Then again, I just remembered she has multiple houses, so I don’t have THAT much sympathy for her compared to Leslie.
Ironically this is a HELL of a way to restart her political career once she recovers and finds herself through the trauma.
Throwatron
actually good point. she had zero credibility to back up Becky’s image 180 that she pulled with her twitter; progressives had no reason to trust her sincerity, and were more likely to chalk it up to “that dumbass congresswoman was probably hitting the coke too hard.” Now she’s been jailed for protesting, that’s much more of a grassroots starting point with a new political base.
Been there. Lots of calls, going there, waiting in line, making payment, waiting some more, then getting your peeps outta there. Maybe they want food right away; maybe they want a very hot bath. Depends on conditions in that place and how long they were there.
233 thoughts on “Appeal”
darkoneko
haha WOW
darkoneko
how does that even work ? how is that even possible ?
Reltzik
When you break the law, there are consequences.
And they broke the “don’t piss off powerful people who are also your employer by publicly protesting their finances” law.
ESM
I’m a little confused as to what’s happening here. I presume the school’s not the one that banned them from campus since they still have jobs at the school, so…did they have a criminal trial and were found guilty? That seems to be the implication since Leslie says they have to “appeal”, but they were only arrested yesterday, weren’t they? That seems insanely fast.
If the school wants them to work there wouldn’t the *school* appeal? If they don’t, what does it matter if Leslie and Robin are legally allowed on campus or not?
ESM
Wait, did a time skip happen and there was a whole Phoenix Wright trial with Raidah getting them out of jail? That’s amazing if that’s what happened, wild if we skipped that, but Robin’s line implies they’ve only missed one class and it’s still the same day.
Bittersweet
They were CT’d, which is a ban enforced by school security (assuming it works like when my husband has people CT’d from his business; he can call the cops on them and they have to leave.) I don’t think a trial is necessary for one of those to be imposed, only to get like punishment on top of it. My husband’s never had to appear in court to testify or anything.
And Becky, Dorothy, and Raidah called a lawyer which I guess answered and was like “what are you talking about, you need a bail bondsman to get them out.” Or at least, my relative that got arrested made bail before we hired his lawyer. The bail can be posted same day.
Bittersweet
(Obv then the lawyer was like “and yeah I’ll represent your friends, that’ll be a $70,000 retaining fee”)
Random832
can state universities *do* that?
Silphael
Well, I don’t know it works in the US for that specific thing, but in some “justice” systems there are “immediate trials” that are an option, and that are used very often against protestors.
Most people in law and most protestors would know to refuse them, because it’s litterally made to incriminate anyone going there (and it’s also set in a way to spread fear).
Sharizard
This is probably not what happened. I’m guessing it’s more detained overnight, then released without formal charge but with the possibility of charges pending. At worse they currently have a citation/legal summon, with details to be handled later.
The real problem here will be the no-trespass order (i.e. not allowed on campus). These can be issued but they’re oh-so problematic. There’s no formal hearing by the University, so due process hasn’t been followed. The AAUP (the closest thing to a Faculty Union) will have issues with this, but i don’t think IU has proper Union-grievance protections.
Honestly, i can see this resulting in Robin winning her appeal, because she’s a former congresswoman and it’s bad optics to do this for her, and Leslie being stuck with the ban.
Envy
Yeah, I’m confused by how she’s banned from campus but not fired? I thought those kinds of things with trespassing were usually determined by the aggrieved party ie the school.
showler
Firing someone requires a process and you have to follow rules. Especially if there’s any kind od union involved. Banning them from campus probably doesn’t require you to follow those rules and then you can use them not being able to do their jobs as your excuse for firing them.
Big Z
I’d suspect something along the lines of “you are suspended without pay until all your appeals are exhausted” just to tie things in a neat little bow without ever actually “firing” anyone which might run afoul of union agreements or state-level rules or some such.
thejeff
It’s possible, but apparently in the real life event this is based on, similar bans were applied to arrested protesters and appeals were routinely and quickly granted to students – not sure if there were any professors involved.
It’s mostly there to have more serious legal tools to use against non-students who got caught protesting again.
Big Z
I’m honestly trying hard for my own sanity to not look at the real-world thing this is based on, but “cops did a bunch of stupid shit, which was immediately unwound by admins/prosecutors” is also pretty on-brand.
John Campbell
Of course, in the real world, Leslie no longer has a class to teach anyway, because Gender Studies was eliminated as wrongthink.
Rook
I would think it would be more of suspended with/without pay until a board convened until a decision would be made. Maybe the law enforcement told them the wrong thing?
Also, I am curious about the action the campus took. It been a good while but doesn’t school campus are fine with protest as long as its peaceful and in one place? I remember back in my college days there were protests in the campus square and was pretty much left on its on as long as no violence came from it?
thejeff
In this case in the real world, which this echoes, the school had been okay with protests in the Meadow in the past, but changed the rules to ban them when the Gaza protest started. This actually turned into a big legal fight and the protestors came back and stayed for months I think.
While the message of the protest almost certainly played a role, it wouldn’t surprise me if the intent to camp out indefinitely was a big part of it. I don’t know if previous protests there that were allowed had been long term encampments or more like rallies or marches.
Arillius
Legally it won’t hold up. You can’t criminally trespass someone who had a legal right to be somewhere.
In reality, which never cares about whats legal, cops can do whatever they want and so can rich people. Its up to the poors to spend more of their money to fight it.
Adept
Considering the ICE-”agent” perpetuated murder in Minneapolis, ”legally” means less and less in the US right now.
The Trump regime is speed running fascism, and it doesn’t seem like there is any effective resistance to oppose them.
Sharizard
A university absolutely can issue no-trespass orders. Most likely it’s been done, from a purely legal standpoint anyway, based on the encampment and having not dispersed after the time limit was reached for the lawful dispersal order.
I’m guessing this has been issued to everyone caught at the protest as a sort of blanket ban, with the intent of taking out as many protestors as possible. It’s the type of thing that would fall apart very quickly under legal scrutiny, especially in relation to two employees of the University, even more so since there was no formal hearing or due process on the part of the university. They may be working on the expectation that people don’t know their rights and won’t try to appeal.
But overall the point of such a no-trespass order would be to take out as many protestors as possible, especially ones like Jocelyn, who aren’t part of the University in any meaningful way. Most likely, the no-trespass will be dropped for students and faculty members, and kept for anyone else who was there. (with the possible exception of Leslie, because there’s a potential funny in Robin getting to stay while Leslie gets kicked out).
Ivkra
No, this doesn’t work. The university absolutely can say “Nobody is allowed to be in X place” and then consider people (faculty, students, etc.) who have a right (and obligation) to be in other parts of campus as trespassing for being in the parts they were told to leave.
In other, less-horrible situations, it’s not even a bad thing. Faculty have to be on campus to teach, research, and advise, but if the university caught a professor just hanging out in a locked dorm after-hours, without having been legitimately* let in by a resident of that dorm, you would very much want that to be considered trespassing.
*for example, in case you’re thinking catastrophically, “professor of math whose kid just started a bio degree and realized at 10pm that she forgot her inhaler, so she unlocks the dorm so her mom can bring up the spare inhaler.”
anon
interesting it’s considered ‘criminal tresspassing’ but other than a sub/replacement, imagine if leslie just did some zoom meetings as class tho i don’t think she’d get a paycheck for that
jason is either gonna be happy or find it tedious to cover for robin tho
WillowD
One of my friends has been teaching at the U. of Ottawa for decades. They started teaching over zoom when the pandemic started and never stopped.
Veit
To everyone confused about how this works, it really happened. This storyline is based on what really happened at the Dunn Meadow encampment protesting the Palestinian genocide. Up to and including the police snipers on the roof.
https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/05/encampment-iu-palestine-protest-one-year
thejeff
That article also mentions a professor who was banned from campus from April 25, 2024, to April 25, 2024, due to a typo.
Which I think is the most Robin thing ever and should be Robin’s fate here while Leslie has to go fight to be allowed back.
Bill Erak
Well that was quick!
Steamweed
For us, yeah. For them, that was probably several hours.
Bill Erak
not really? Not sure how long classes are but remember: When they went to find Raidah, classes were just about starting, and here Robin is saying if they hurry the can make it to the last few minutes, so it wasn’t that long.
Arianod
She may not be talking about *today’s* class but more like, long term (?)
Arianod
OK, Robin. Nope, ignore my comment.
Jeff K!
I suspect the story was longer when Sarah was in the first panel, but it couldn’t be a simple redraw the story with a different primary character, so we dropped a few strips.
But that’s just a theory.
Thing 2
Hypothesis?
Clif
Technically, but in English words are defined by how they are used, so good luck.
Risky
Baseless speculation, argument from ignorance, nothingburger, rage-baiting, maybe one of these?
APW
As they are in every other language (good luck everyone, society is a social construct)
Andrusi
In English, words can mean whatever you pineapple them to.
NGPZ
poor Robin
looks like this heavy news and lack of cadbury eggs really taken its toll
TT~TT
QueenofSodor
strip’s really burying the lede re: robin’s taste in lesbian pornography
jeffepp
I don’t know, it kind of started with it. And followed through with her flirting with Leslie about it.
Thag Simmons
Yeah this is not a revelation
Yotomoe
Robin didn’t even mention in what way their experience didn’t live up to her expectations. Maybe it was even SEXIER than she was expecting.
Clif
We can assume so and no one can stop us.
Dwampre Scorrigank
Prison being too sexy would probably end the carceral state faster than it being too cruel.
Reltzik
More carnal than carceral, amirite?
Alexander Krizak
Especially funny when the last strip Robin was in, she was protesting that she was very straight.
Clif
She’s obviously a very straight fan of lesbo porns.
Nono
Protest consequences, but for the wrong white queer woman. :(
Freemage
Which character needs/deserves a ‘protest’ consequence, in your opinion?
Nono
Well let’s give Raidah this: she does have good connections.
Steamweed
Connections in the finding out where the two were, and getting them released (probably some bail or such). But now they need Tony’s connection to get the two instructors working again (and good luck with that, since he doesn’t like buffoonery).
Nono
There’s multiple ways to access the dean but I’m not sure if we’re ready for Linda to be relevant again.
Nymph
If he thinks being at a protest against genocide is “buffoonery” I’m going to count that as a win for me not trusting him from the start.
Thing 2
Don’t trust Tony.
John Campbell
Robin has the magical power of turning anything into buffoonery.
thejeff
I guess. Kind of weird that there’s basically no hint of what they were. There’s no lawyer with them or anything.
Skater Girl
They’ve broken Robin. I didn’t think it possible.
Slartibeast Button, BIA
Nothing enough sugar can’t fix…
Nono
It’s kind of been a whirlwind of a few months for her, too. Dumped her electoral staff, picked up Becky as an emergency assistant, got way too invested in her life, quit the race, got re-hired as a professor, and then got banned after being at a protest that she probably didn’t actually care that much about just because her crush was there.
Then again, I just remembered she has multiple houses, so I don’t have THAT much sympathy for her compared to Leslie.
Grimeyville
Ironically this is a HELL of a way to restart her political career once she recovers and finds herself through the trauma.
Throwatron
actually good point. she had zero credibility to back up Becky’s image 180 that she pulled with her twitter; progressives had no reason to trust her sincerity, and were more likely to chalk it up to “that dumbass congresswoman was probably hitting the coke too hard.” Now she’s been jailed for protesting, that’s much more of a grassroots starting point with a new political base.
Blibdoolpoolp
I mean teaching was already sort of a fallback for her after politics, the trauma of this might stick for quite a while.
Alongcameaspider
So uh, I dont know about everyone else but I’m kind of disappointed we kind of skipped the whole process of getting them out
Doopyboop
I don’t imagine it would have been very interesting, lots of paperwork and such I’m sure.
Sharizard
I don’t know. 2-3 panels of them arriving at the jail cell and the like, having a chat between bars. That’s doable.
Though now i kind of want 22 strips dedicated to filling out a form in meticulous detail with constant sassy interruptions.
Throwatron
The next 3 months of the comic should just have been Dorothy and Raidah filling out paperwork in the same style and tone as Light Yagami.
Tequila Mockingbird
Patreon-only special with a collab (or at least a cameo) from Legal Eagle.
Bittersweet
Nah, I like it, moves things along a little faster (even if I’d have loved more “Robin copes with humor” because I love characters coping with humor)
Thag Simmons
I imagine it was stressful but tedious and boring in a way that would be difficult to portray in a gag-a-day strip.
The uncertainty followed by seeming anti-climax followed by the reveal of how serious the consequences were is a pretty smart call
Steamweed
Been there. Lots of calls, going there, waiting in line, making payment, waiting some more, then getting your peeps outta there. Maybe they want food right away; maybe they want a very hot bath. Depends on conditions in that place and how long they were there.
Clif