Identity of Speakers
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Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE)
Student
OtherStudents Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) is the University of Michigan’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student-run pro-Palestinian advocacy group.
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Rally or protest
Recognized student group event
Lawsuit
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Left wing -
Incident Responses:
Student sanctioned
Rally or Protests
Litigation
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Incident Status:
In litigation Federal District Court
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
In December 2024, students and alumni filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Michigan, alleging that the university violated their constitutional rights in response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. The plaintiffs claimed that the university selectively targeted peaceful protesters by imposing disciplinary measures, including terminating campus employment, blacklisting individuals from future job opportunities within the university system, and issuing trespass notices that barred students from entering campus buildings across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses. Additionally, the lawsuit asserted that the university initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter over content posted on its social media accounts.
The complaint also alleged that the university employed outside consulting firms to assist in initiating retaliatory disciplinary actions against individual students and student organizations involved in the protests. The plaintiffs argued that these actions represented a departure from established university procedures and constituted viewpoint discrimination, infringing upon their First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.
