For 274 days after his arrest, criminal charges hung over Dilan Gohill, a freshman reporter for the Stanford Daily.
All for doing his job.
Gohill was arrested while covering a student protest at the university’s president’s office in June 2024. Wearing a press badge and holding a camera, Gohill was clearly there to cover the event, yet he was detained alongside demonstrators, spent 15 hours in custody and faced potential felony charges.
As shocking as the arrest was, the university’s response made it worse. Instead of defending student press freedom, Stanford officials actively encouraged the Santa Clara County District Attorney to press charges. The message to student journalists was unmistakable — report at your own risk.
High-stakes situations like this reveal what it means to be a student journalist navigating an increasingly complex legal and political landscape, often without the protections or resources of professional newsrooms. That’s why the Student Press Law Center exists: to provide critical tools and legal support to student journalists, especially when their rights are under attack.
Within days of Gohill’s arrest, SPLC and our partners at the California-based First Amendment Coalition quickly mobilized a coalition of over two dozen press freedom organizations to advocate on Gohill’s behalf. Together, we sent a letter urging the District Attorney’s office to decline the charges. We applied public pressure and coordinated behind the scenes with Gohill’s legal team.
For months, nothing happened. No decision from the county. No word from the university. Just silence — and a student journalist left to carry the weight of possible life-altering consequences for doing his job.
The Student Press law Center knew silence wasn’t an option.
In January 2025, we wrote another letter, this time to Stanford’s new president. Three days later, the university finally confirmed to us that Stanford would not pursue disciplinary action — the first time Gohill himself learned of this decision. Finally in March, the district attorney’s office announced they wouldn’t pursue criminal charges.
Gohill called it “incredible” to have the Student Press Law Center consistently speak out on his behalf and check in on him.
“Those nine months [of not knowing] were some of the hardest of my life, especially with the uncertainty around my professional and academic future…,” he said. “I don’t think I would have made it through this process or have my case result in such a successful outcome if it weren’t for the Student Press Law Center.”
Gohill went on to deliver a keynote address to hundreds of student journalists at the Associated Collegiate Press Spring Convention in March 2025, a moment of recognition and resilience SPLC was proud to help facilitate.
From day one to resolution, SPLC stood beside Gohill, with unwavering advocacy and coalition-building that turned his story into a national rallying cry for press freedom. This wasn’t just about one student. It was about reminding institutions and the public: Student journalists are journalists, deserving of the same rights, protections and respect.
About the Student Press Law Center: The Student Press Law Center is the nation’s only legal organization devoted exclusively to defending and advancing the free press rights of student journalists. Since 1974, we have helped students and their educators navigate the law, strengthen their reporting and stand up for press freedom. Our legal support, education and advocacy empower student journalists to report freely and courageously. Learn more at splc.org.