NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Hundreds of young people gathered in Washington Square Park on Saturday night, prompting NYU to warn students they could face "disciplinary action" if they refuse to follow health and safety guidelines.
Videos posted to social media over the weekend showed crowds of college-aged people congregating in the park, some of whom weren't wearing masks.
In a statement released on Sunday, NYU's Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, Marc Wais, said the school had "received reports and videos of large crowds of young people gathering in Washington Square Park… with some people not wearing masks or distancing."
"As I indicated on Thursday, the expectations we have set for NYU students apply both on-campus and off-campus," he wrote. "We are investigating the circumstances from last night and any students who have violated our expectations will be subject to disciplinary action."
"Please wear a mask and physically distance whenever you are in public places, including Washington Square Park, and leave the area if conditions become unsafe," he added. "There are lots of different parks and facilities around NYC where you can spread out and be safe."
As of Saturday, more than 20 NYU students had been suspended for COVID-19-related violations, the school tweeted.
On Thursday, Wais cited COVID-19 outbreaks at schools including SUNY Oneonta and the University of Notre Dame as the impetuses behind NYU's strict guidelines.
"The University has no desire to subject its students to conduct proceedings. We have no wish to create a 'Gotcha!' atmosphere or to pursue minor, passing deviations from our health and safety rules," he wrote.
"However… we take the COVID-19 threat very seriously," he added. "The University will investigate every report it receives of an alleged violation of our student conduct policies and public health guidelines."
