DeSantis Sued By Students, ACLU Over Pro-Palestinian Crackdown On Campus

LOADING ERROR LOADING A pro-Palestinian student group on Thursday sued the state of Florida with help from the American Civil Liberties Union after Gov. They are asking a court to intervene on their behalf, citing precedent from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which stated last year: “Nowhere is free speech more important than in our leading institutions of higher learning.” BREAKING: Our client, the University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine, is suing university leaders and Governor DeSantis for violating its First Amendment rights by ordering the deactivation of the group as punishment for a statement from the independent national SJP. The lawsuit claims that the DeSantis administration’s “material support” allegation stems from a document created by the national SJP that, according to the student group, doesn’t dictate the beliefs or messaging of the local student chapter. “The Order bases this serious and stigmatizing allegation solely on statements published by National Students for Justice in Palestine group, an independent organization, in a document called the ‘Day of Resistance Toolkit,’” the suit said. “According to the Deactivation Order, UF SJP’s only alleged offense is its affiliation with NSJP — which is constitutionally protected,” the lawsuit claimed, arguing that the students’ rights to free speech would be protected even if they had a stronger affiliation with the national group.