Uni suspends student over image of Charedi man with Palestine sticker on mouth

Nottingham Trent University has suspended a student over a photo posted on Tinder of a Charedi man with a Palestinian flag covering his mouth who appeared to be asleep on the Piccadilly line.

A first-year student, known as Jonathan, has been suspended and a panel is to convene to determine disciplinary action.

Screenshots of the dating profile picture, which shows an unidentified man posing next to the Charedi man, emerged on social media, sparking concern from online users.

Jonathan told the Nottingham Tab: “That was indeed a terrible picture, absolutely insensitive and should not have been taken in the first place.

“I should also mention the fact that I am in no way antisemitic or have any kind of prejudice towards Jews.”

The student website also reported that the image of the Palestinian flag was photo-shopped on the sleeping commuter’s mouth.

A Nottingham Trent University spokesperson said: “We are dealing with this matter urgently, and an investigatory officer has already held an interview with an individual who was about to begin his first year of study here.

“This individual has been suspended and a university disciplinary panel will now decide on appropriate action. We are proud of our diverse and inclusive community and do not tolerate any form of hate crime, including antisemitism.”

Siwan Hayward, TFL’s director of compliance and policing, said: “Hate crime is illegal and we do not tolerate it on our network.

“We want public transport to feel safe and welcoming for everyone and urge anyone who has more information about this abhorrent incident to contact the BTP and make an official report, so the perpetrators can be identified.”