BUZZ
Claim they have been ‘attacked,’ ‘repressed,’ and ‘punished’
Pro-Hamas students at the University of Michigan have filed a lawsuit against the school alleging free speech violations and “selective punishment.”
According to a press release from the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice, the group Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) and other activists claim the university “paid hundreds of thousands of dollars” to various consultants so as to subject activists to “retaliatory” discipline proceedings.
The center claims that “while the manner of expressing speech has not changed” for U-M students over the years, pro-Palestinian student activists have been “attacked,” “repressed,” and “punished.”
“For the past year the University of Michigan has overreached to specifically target students who advocate for divestment and the human rights of Palestinian people,” said the Sugar Law Center’s John Philo.
“The University is breaking from its own long-standing traditions of honoring student protest and is violating the United States Constitution by weaponizing student and student organization disciplinary processes to punish pro-Palestine protesters into silence and to chill, and repress speech in support of Palestinian causes on campus.”
Included in the lawsuit are the U-M Board of Regents, President Santa Ono, and Vice President for Student Life Martino Harmon,” the Michigan Daily reports.
A month ago, U-M held a hearing at which SAFE was accused by the university of violating the school’s Standards of Conduct, with sanctions including a possible “two to four-year suspension.”
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The suit includes this SAFE hearing, claiming it was “a method of targeting pro-Palestinian student activists.” SAFE also noted the complaint doesn’t include “every instance of repression against their movement,” but hopefully would “protect future protesters [sic] rights.”
SAFE Media co-Director Tarana Sharma (pictured) said the lawsuit “is a message to universities across the nation that they cannot shut down pro-Palestine protest and expect no repercussions.”
“Our expectation is to use this case to block the blatant targeted repression of pro-Palestine activism and continue building pressure towards our central goal, divestment,” Sharma added.
Among other things, the student activists want a repeal of “all disciplinary actions” taken against them, a “reinstate[ment of] all prior privileges and statues,” and a prohibition on “requiring permits for student organizations to engage in speech activities on the Diag.”
U-M spokesperson Kay Jarvis said the university “disagrees” with the suit’s allegations: “We believe the claims have no merit, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.”
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IMAGES: Maksim Kabakou/Shutterstock.com; U. Michigan
