A civil liberties group is stepping in to help students who've been suspended from the University of Florida following their arrests during pro-Palestinian protests in April.
The group is known as the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE. It’s headquartered in Philadelphia and was founded in 1999 with the aim of protecting free speech within higher education.
The nonprofit says it’s in touch with UF in the hopes of reducing academic suspensions for the students.
According to a press release from the arrested protesters, the Dean of Students has suspended five students from UF for three years until 2027. One student, who’s facing a felony charge for allegedly spitting on an officer, has been suspended for four years until 2028.
Jessie Appleby is an attorney with FIRE and calls the suspensions 'draconian’.
“There was no fighting going on. They were not disrupting other activities on campus. It was a peaceful protest,” Appleby said.
The press release goes on to state that each of the students had a disciplinary hearing with the Student Conduct Committees in May and June. The SCC is comprised of UF faculty, staff and students who listen to cases alleging violations of the student code of conduct. In the majority of cases, the committee recommended suspensions and punishments that were less severe than what the students eventually received from the dean of students. Here’s a breakdown of the SCC recommendations, according to the press release:
- The SCC recommended Keely Gilwa be put on probation. This would have allowed Gliwa to stay in school and graduate with a Master of Science degree in biochemistry on May 2;
- Tess Segal was recommended a one-year probation and a two-year suspension;
- Parker Hovis was recommended a deferred suspension;
- Allan Frasheri was recommended a one-year suspension;
- Rose Bisram was recommended a three year suspension;
- The recommendation for Augustino Pulliam is unknown.
All of the students received a three-year suspension. Frasheri, who allegedly spat on a police officer, received a four-year suspension.
One of the students, Tess Segal, said if the three-year suspension remains in place, she’ll have to finish her undergraduate degree elsewhere.
“I can’t imagine a world where I’m not in school for the next three years,” said Segal, who was expected to start her junior year this fall. “That’s just not realistic for what I want to do.”
Another student, Parker Hovis, was expecting to graduate in the fall and start a career as a computer scientist next year.
“Being suspended from UF has entirely uprooted my life and my future,” said Hovis in a text message. “I also have been in financial ruin due to the suspension. Without the income from student loans, grants, and scholarships, I have been forced to live entirely on credit cards and personal loans for these last three months. I have been looking for suitable full-time work in the meantime, but it is very difficult given the high-profile nature of the case. I honestly cannot know how long this will continue to impact me financially and personally, even if the sanctions were lifted tomorrow.”
When asked why the Dean of Students doled out punishments that were more severe than the SCC’s recommendations, Cynthia Roldan, the Director of Public Affairs, wrote in an email that UF was “clear from the very beginning that an arrest for violations of prohibited activities would result in an interim suspension and a trespass order for three years.”
The prohibited activities — including provisions such as amplified sound, no disruption and no camping — were listed on fliers circulated by campus police the day after pro-Palestinian protests started at UF.
Appleby saidthe timing of those new rules is another potential legal issue.
“They passed these rules that were much more restrictive than the policies on the book, seemingly in response to the appearance of the pro-Palestinian demonstration. And then they enforce these rules specifically against the pro-Palestinian demonstrators,” Appleby said.
“As a state university, you cannot pass rules that look like they’re neutral on their face, but are passed specifically to target one viewpoint. That is actually illegal, ”Appleby said. A letter FIRE sent to UF President Ben Sasse on July 3 says the actions are inconsistent with the First Amendment.
Appleby said FIRE is encouraging the university to rescind the rules or make them consistent with existing university policy.
All students have appealed their suspensions and are awaiting a final decision. No date has yet been set.
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