Two University of Florida students, Parker Hovis and Keely Gliwa, have filed a federal lawsuit against the school’s Board of Trustees, alleging that the university violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights during a campus protest in the spring of 2024.
Protest and Arrests
The incident stems from a pro-Palestinian demonstration that began at UF’s Plaza of the Americas. The plaintiffs allege that the university’s actions regarding their arrests and subsequent three-year suspensions were taken with ‘malice or deliberate indifference’ to their federally protected rights.
According to the complaint, the demonstrators remained on a grassy area, did not block walkways or buildings, and engaged in activities such as making signs and sharing food. The plaintiffs allege that as the demonstration continued, UF administration and the University of Florida Police Department implemented new rules that were not part of existing university policy.
Rules and Suspension
The lawsuit notes that the use of tables and chairs was previously permitted in the Plaza. On April 29, officers approached Hovis and two community members who were sitting in folding lawn chairs and ordered them to remove the chairs, citing the new rules. The lawsuit states that Hovis later returned to the area and resumed sitting in a chair. Following this, campus police and Florida Highway Patrol officers entered the crowd and arrested nine individuals, including six students.
Both Hovis and Gliwa were among those arrested and were immediately placed on interim suspension by the University and issued trespass warnings, barring them from campus property and preventing them from attending classes or their own graduation ceremonies.
Lawsuit and Demands
The plaintiffs are now seeking declaratory and injunctive relief in federal court. They are asking the court to order their immediate reinstatement as students in good standing, rescind all trespass orders, confer Gliwa’s degree, and expunge the disciplinary proceedings from their records. They are also seeking compensatory damages and attorney fees.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
