A federal judge in Florida dismissed two lawsuits filed by pro-Palestine student organizations against Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration. The groups had sued following a memo from the administration that suggested deactivating their university chapters after the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled against granting a preliminary injunction, noting the memo had not been enforced and no actions towards deactivation or criminal investigation were imminent. Walker highlighted inaccuracies in the memo’s description of the student groups’ affiliation with the National Students for Justice in Palestine and found no evidence of chilled speech or reputational harm.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing the student groups, urged the removal of the memo from official websites, warning of potential court action if any deactivation attempts were made. The ACLU of Florida emphasized the violation of free speech rights the order represented. This decision comes amid rising tensions on campuses regarding the balance between free speech and student protection. Despite acknowledging the students’ fears of being targeted by DeSantis, who labeled them as supporting “jihad,” the judge ruled they lacked standing for an injunction, citing a lack of evidence for imminent harm.
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