Students for Justice in Palestine submit lawsuit against UMD, alleging First Amendment violations

University of Maryland Student Government Off-Campus Outlying Representative Abel Amene speaks at Tuesdays press conference at the University of Maryland, College Park.  (Theodore Rose/The Black Explosion)

Press and onlookers gathered around a podium at the Campus Drive entrance of the University of Maryland on Tuesday to hear representatives from this university’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine publicly announce their decision to sue the university.

The lawsuit comes two weeks after the university’s president, Darryll Pines, issued a statement2 limiting events on Oct. 7 only to those endorsed by the university. SJP claims that this decision was a violation of students’ First Amendment right to free speech and that the Board of Regents, the university and Pines were responsible. 

SJP is represented by two non-profit organizations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Palestine Legal. 

“I myself am a recent graduate of the University of Maryland College Park,” said CAIR Maryland Outreach Coordinator Kimerly Syuardi during the press release, “and I’m so disappointed and frustrated to see my alma mater join many other universities in attempting to silence anti-genocide voices.”

Days following Pines’ letter to the university, CAIR and Palestine Legal sent a letter requesting that the university retract its ban of student events on Oct. 7 stating that if campus officials did not rescind their decision they would send them to court.

“Throughout history students have been at the forefront of speaking out for civil rights and for divestments from apartheid from South Africa to Palestine,” read a statement from Palestine Legal Staff Attorney, Tori Porell, during the press release. 

“The knee-jerk decision by the university to curtail free expression in response to pressure from lobby groups or individuals who oppose Palestinian rights is egregious and unlawful,” Porell’s statement read, “and we are ready to challenge it in court.”

Originally, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace reserved McKeldin Mall on Oct. 7 to hold an “Awareness Event.” According to the lawsuit, the event was supposed to include teach-ins, tables, “visual display of kites” and a vigil with those who have personally lost loved ones to speak.

The suit goes on to claim that on August 19, Pines and university Vice President for Student Affairs, Patricia Perillo, met with SJP and reassured them that despite mounting pressure to cancel the groups reservation, “they were committed to protecting the free speech of students,” and would not remove their reservation.

Due to continued pressure including phone calls and petitions this commitment did not last. 

The suit alleged that on Aug. 28, an unnamed SJP board member and Perillo had a phone call per Perillo’s request where Perillo brought up that outside entities were concerned that the Oct. 7 event would “glorify violence.”

Four days later on Sunday, Sep. 1, SJP said they were notified during a Zoom meeting that their reservation of McKeldin Mall was revoked over concerns for “student safety.” 

This is despite Pines stating in his letter to the campus community Sept. 1 that, “UMPD has assured me that there is no immediate or active threat to prompt [canceling the Oct. 7 reservation],” saying his decision was “out of an abundance of caution.”

Abel Amene, a university study government representative for off-campus outliers, disagrees with the accused reasoning to revoke SJP’s reservation, saying that it was “based on assumptions that have included racist and dehumanizing language,” rather than student safety.

“When we made a reservation on campus,” Amene said, “without us even saying anything about our event, simply based on the name of our organization Students for Justice in Palestine people began calling us terrorists, saying that we want to glorify death or that we are anti-semetic.” Amene accuses the university of affirming the harmful language by canceling SJP’s event.
The university’s reaction to the lawsuit is to stand by their original letter. As Katie Lawson, Chief Communications Officer for the university puts it, “our public letter of September 1 outlining our decision is all we will have on the matter.”