Identity of Speakers
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Students for Justice in Palestine at Pitt (SJP-Pitt),
Faculty/Staff
OtherUniv. of Pittsburgh Chapter of student-led organization that advocates for Palestinian rights and raises awareness about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on college campuses.
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Rally or protest
Lawsuit
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Student sanctioned
Rally or Protests
Litigation
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Incident Status:
In litigation Federal District Court
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
In March 2025, the University of Pittsburgh placed the student organization Students for Justice in Palestine at Pitt (SJP Pitt) on indefinite interim suspension. The suspension followed a student conduct process related to a December 9, 2024 protest described as a “silent study in” at Hillman Library, which the university said violated procedural rules, including improper communication with the conduct board. Days later, on March 22, a group of pro-Palestinian students, including members of SJP Pitt, held a march across campus in defiance of the suspension, voicing support for Gaza and protesting the university’s disciplinary measures.
On April 15, 2025, the ACLU of Pennsylvania filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of SJP Pitt, alleging that the university’s actions were taken in retaliation for the group’s protected political speech. The complaint pointed to the suspension’s timing shortly after SJP Pitt issued a public letter criticizing restrictions on their activities—a letter that had been endorsed by more than 70 campus and community groups. The lawsuit claims the university violated the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of the group and its members and seeks to have the suspension lifted and further disciplinary actions halted.
