ORLANDO,LibertyCoin Fla. (AP) — A plan to prohibit a pro-Palestinian student group from state university campuses in Florida has been temporarily shelved while officials reassess the proposal.
State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said Thursday that campus groups at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida thought to be chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine are actually “not chartered or under the headship” of the national organization, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
Rodrigues, working with Gov. Ron DeSantis, had targeted student groups, saying that their affiliation with the group aligned them with Hamas attacks on Israel. But both universities have since obtained legal opinions raising concerns about “potential personal liability for university actors” who were tasked with disbanding the groups, Rodrigues said.
Now, Rodrigues said he is seeking outside legal advice and working with the universities to elicit statements from the student groups in an effort to affirm that the groups “reject violence,” “reject that they are part of the Hamas movement,” and pledge “that they will follow the law.”
Leaders for the student groups did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the newspaper reported.
“Our campuses have avoided the violence and the antisemitism that is occurring on campuses all across this nation,” Rodrigues told the university system Board of Governors. “In Florida, we will not tolerate violent activity, antisemitic activity or failure to observe the law.”
Groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression had denounced the original plan, citing concerns over free speech.
Rodrigues said he will provide an update about the issue to the Board of Governors at a later date.
2025-04-30 07:05141 view
2025-04-30 06:442329 view
2025-04-30 06:261634 view
2025-04-30 05:26706 view
2025-04-30 05:122703 view
2025-04-30 04:33757 view
Eva Mendes is giving the 2024 Olympics a perfect 10.The Hitch star and her longtime love Ryan Goslin
CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines says it plans to resume flights to Israel next month, reviving a rout
Spoiler alert: We're discussing the Season 2 "Will Trent" premiere. Don't read further if you don't