(The Lion) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an anti-Israel group at the University of Vermont (UVM) over its suspension.
The group, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), brought the suit in September after it was placed on temporary suspension by the university “for violating numerous campus policies in connection with a 10-day encampment on campus in the spring,” reported Vermont’s CBS affiliate WCAX.
On April 28, 2024, UVM students, led by the SJP, set up an encampment at the university’s Andrew Harris Commons in protest over Israel’s aggressive response to the Hamas October 7 terror attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took 240 civilian hostages – many of whom have since died.
The encampment violated a number of campus policies, including using the campus green without permission, setting up temporary structures without a permit and encouraging other students to violate university policies.
The SJP lawsuit, which included a motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to lift the suspension in U.S. District Court, argued that the suspension violated the group’s free speech rights protected by the First Amendment.
While the months-long suspension was lifted on Dec. 16, SJP will be on disciplinary probation through the spring 2025 semester, and may only continue its on-campus operations provided its leadership completes “educational and restorative sanctions,” according to a university statement.
In dismissing the case and ruling in favor of the school’s disciplinary action, U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions concluded that the suspension was merited based on the group’s violation of school policies.
“The Court finds the University’s concerns reasonable,” wrote Sessions in his decision. “The policy in question addressed two well-established institutional interests: safety and security. Allowing students to sleep outside on University property gives rise to vulnerabilities that are not present when students are housed in secure dormitories.”
Other violations cited by UVM, including the disruption of normal student schedules and work patterns, “also fit within those same legitimate and reasonable University goals,” Sessions added.
In a prepared statement, SJP leaders said they were disappointed with the ruling, but insisted that the organization “will return to campus with resilience and strength.”
Campus Reform noted that SJP “has a widespread presence on American campuses, has frequently engaged in disruptive protests and has repeatedly been accused of anti-Semitic actions and rhetoric, as well as glorification of terrorists.”
The conservative campus watchdog group added that “SJP chapters have been investigated, banned, suspended, or disciplined by several universities, including the Universities of Wisconsin-Madison, Missouri, Stanford, and George Washington University.” Additionally, “Columbia’s SJP chapter, which was deeply involved with anti-Israel protests at the school, was also recently banned from Instagram.”
