Security guard claims DePaul University fired him for being "too friendly" with Palestinian students

    CHICAGO (WBBM) -- A security guard who worked on the DePaul University campus has been fired — and he says the reason is because he was, in his words, "too friendly to Palestinian students."

Surrounded by supporters, Terrance Freeman spoke out about his firing at a news conference on campus late Thursday afternoon.

He said he was called into a meeting with the administration at DePaul because he had taken a photo with Palestinian students just after Chicago Police removed a protest encampment for the Palestinian cause back in May.

He also said administrators were worried about how the photo would look toward pro-Israel students.

"I noticed when I was here that DePaul University wanted me to essentially choose sides. To me, they're saying, this is not the time to choose sides," said Freeman. "If we're going to choose a side in society, then we must choose the side of righteousness."

CBS News Chicago reached out to DePaul asking for the reasoning behind Freeman's firing. DePaul released the following statement:

"The individual was working for an outside security company contracted with DePaul, and he is no longer assigned to our campus.

"The safety of our students, faculty and staff is a top priority at DePaul. Staff continue to work closely with our student groups to hear and respond to their concerns, while ensuring DePaul remains a welcoming space for our diverse university community."