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University of South Florida

April 2024
University of South Florida (Public college or university)
Tampa, FL

Identity of Speakers

  • Joseph Charry
    Student
    Other

    Junior sociology major who was suspended for one year and subsequently lost his student visa, forcing him to return to his home country of Colombia

  • Victoria Hinckley,
    Student
    Other

    Expelled UCF student

  • Students for a Democratic Society at UCF
    Student
    Other

    UCF affiliate of National Students for a Democratic Society, a student-led organization committed to progressive activism and social justice.

Resources

Additional Information

  • Incident Nature:
    Rally or protest
    Other
  • Incident Political Orientation:
    Left wing
  • Incident Responses:
    Student sanctioned
    Rally or Protests
    Campus police
    Other Law Enforcement
    Title IX or other federal statute
  • Incident Status:
    No litigation
  • Was Speech Code incident

Summary

In April 2024, students and community members at the University of South Florida (USF) organized a pro-Palestine encampment protest, demanding that the university divest from companies tied to Israel’s military actions. Demonstrators used umbrellas and wooden shields to form a barricade and refused repeated orders to disperse. In response, campus police deployed tear gas and arrested 13 individuals, including five students. One of those arrested was found carrying a firearm. While university officials defended the police response as necessary for safety, many students and faculty members condemned the use of force and saw it as an attempt to suppress political protest.

In the aftermath, arrested students were charged with misdemeanors including trespassing, unlawful assembly, and resisting arrest. The university initiated disciplinary actions against those involved. Graduate student Joseph Charry was suspended for a year and banned from campus, while senior Victoria Hinckley was expelled just weeks before graduation. The campus chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which had helped organize the demonstration, was derecognized by the administration. A subsequent protest in early October—focused on defending free speech and opposing the earlier suspensions—led to additional disciplinary measures.

On December 11, 2024, Tampa Bay SDS filed a 59-page civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The complaint alleged that USF created a hostile environment for Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students and retaliated against organizers for their political speech. Citing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the complaint accused the university of discriminatory conduct while receiving federal funding.

Despite growing public criticism and student calls for reinstatement, USF officials and trustees defended the actions taken. They praised the campus police for maintaining order and said the disciplinary responses were appropriate. Student activists and civil liberties advocates, however, continued to denounce the university’s handling of the protests as part of a broader pattern of suppressing pro-Palestinian speech.