As if they didn’t have enough to worry about, two of the students have been suspended, according to reports. Of the four MSU freshmen allegedly involved in the Nov. 1, 2009, prank consisting of illegal fireworks, Olivia Hudson, 18, and Sasha Savage, 19, now are facing suspensions from MSU ranging from one semester to two years, the Lansing State Journal reported Tuesday.

Those in charge at MSU have taken it upon themselves to put in their own two cents, suspending Hudson in December and Savage earlier this month, according to the LSJ. The State News has not been able to confirm Hudson and Savage have been suspended by the university.

But should MSU officials have the right to suspend someone based on what they have done off campus? According to MSU Judicial Affairs, the university has limited jurisdiction over off-campus activities. In the case of a student disciplinary matter, the issue is whether a university regulation was violated, not whether a law was broken. Students who participate in an illegal civil disturbance (such as throwing illegal fireworks) are subject to university discipline as well.

Although these rules are in place, there are no sentencing guidelines and everything is handled case by case, according to Judicial Affairs. The severity of the punishment is based on each particular case, the seriousness of the behavior, criminal history of the student, harm done to others, damage done to property, what the student might learn and how they can prove it from the punishment.

But isn’t that what courts are for? The four freshmen involved have no previous criminal record, have been described as good people by those that know them and did no physical harm to anyone. With these facts in place, a suspension of any kind seems unfair and unjustified. It’s the court systems that should decide the punishments, not the university.

There’s also the fact that law enforcement likely took this too far in the first place. Those involved have given countless testimonies that there was no intent to hurt anyone, and even the resident of the property said he believes the incident was a joke and the students had no intention of harm. Yet the students all faced felony charges and a combined total of up to 20 years in prison. Yes, it was a stupid idea, and considering fireworks are illegal in Michigan, they deserve to be punished. But not to the degree for which they’re being charged. The police classified the firework thrown as a “bomb” and a university official called it an improvised explosive device, or IED, according to the LSJ. But how can something used on the Fourth of July in other states be called a bomb in Michigan?

Suspending the students only will move them backward when it comes to getting their lives back on track. There’s no need for MSU to double up on duties. MSU should stick to what it does best: education. If one has paid their debt to society, they should be free to access higher education.