The University of Colorado is facing a lawsuit for alleged free speech violations against pro-Palestinian protestors. The lawsuit refers to the university-sanctioned group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and alleges the Boulder school “imposed a draconian sanction” in response to a “brief, nonviolent student protest” that was held on October 3 last year at a military recruitment fair on campus.
Plaintiffs Mari Rosenfeld and Max Alexander Inman were members of the SJP group, which is one chapter of about 350 around the country. The students met with Chancellor Justin Shwartz, Dean Devin Cramer, and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs D’Andra Mull in August to learn about the university’s policies related to free speech and protests. The lawsuit alleges the university representatives cut the meeting to 30 minutes when it was initially scheduled as an hour long meeting. The students had unanswered questions, according to the court filing.
The lawsuit alleges that the university subjected the SJP to “extreme monitoring,” which included dispatching the Student Engagement Response Team (SERT) and law enforcement officers to a “peaceful vigil” and a “silent sit-in protest.” The plaintiffs allege that this monitoring is not typical for other events on campus, including events organized by the student group “Students Supporting Israel.”
On the day of the recruitment fair, the SJP was protesting near the main entrance without blocking any entrances. SERT notified the SJP that the South Terrace was reserved and directed the group to move to the South Lawn to resume the protest. The group complied with the orders and began using a bullhorn in hopes that individuals going into the recruitment fair would be able to hear. Plaintiff Inman used the bullhorn to tell the protestors that he was going into the career fair and invited the rest of the group to join him.
An administrator and law enforcement officer approached the group and gave them a lawful order to exit the ballroom where the career fair was taking place. The plaintiffs say they complied with the order immediately and left the building within a minute. The day after the protest, the SJP group was barred from being a recognized student group on campus.
The lawsuit states the plaintiffs were issued “indefinite interim exclusion order on plaintiffs that excluded them from ‘the entire campus, on-campus housing, and any university activities,’ with the exception of attending classes.” The interim exclusion required plaintiffs to arrive at class no earlier than ten minutes before class begins and leave no later than ten minutes after class ends.
The plaintiffs and the SJP allegedly violated the Campus Use of University Facilities (CUUF) procedures by interrupting the career fair and using amplified sound. The lawsuit states that the use of amplified sound is not against CUUF procedures. However, the guideline allows amplified sound for “approved events in an outdoor space.” The career fair event was indoors when the plaintiffs utilized the bullhorn before they were asked to leave the building.
Colorado University has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit allegations except to say the university had not yet received the summons.
