Walker v. Regents of the University of Michigan, et al.

Summary

On May 21, 2026, Josiah Walker, a University of Michigan student and member of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the University of Michigan, university officials, campus police officers, and private security contractors. The complaint alleged that Walker was targeted after participating in pro-Palestinian protests and advocacy efforts, including calls for university divestment related to the Israel-Gaza war. The lawsuit alleged that defendants retaliated against Walker through surveillance, harassment, arrests, and efforts to interfere with his employment opportunities. The complaint alleged that the university “solely targeted, discriminated against, and punished” students engaged in pro-Palestinian advocacy and violated Walker’s constitutional rights.

The complaint alleged that private investigators hired by the university monitored Walker and other student activists, followed them on and off campus, recorded their activities, and gathered information about their protest activity. The lawsuit alleged that interactions with investigators led to police involvement and criminal allegations against Walker. The complaint further alleged that university officials and investigators created records that harmed Walker’s employment prospects, including what the lawsuit described as blacklisting because of his activism.

The lawsuit followed controversy over the University of Michigan’s use of private security contractors during the 2024–2025 academic year. On June 6, 2025, allegations emerged that private investigators working for the university had monitored pro-Palestinian student groups, including by following students, recording them, and observing their activities on and off campus. On June 9, 2025, the University of Michigan ended contracts with private security firms providing plainclothes security services. Interim President Domenico Grasso said the university had learned that a security contractor employee had acted in ways that were “disturbing, unacceptable, and unethical” and stated that the university would no longer use external plainclothes security services.

The University of Michigan denied that it surveilled or targeted students because of their beliefs or affiliations, stating that contracted security personnel were used to support campus safety and observe potential criminal or suspicious activity. The May 21, 2026, lawsuit sought damages and other relief based on allegations that the university and its agents retaliated against Walker for protected expression and activism.