TEXAS — A lawsuit has been filed against the University of Texas at Austin and former UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell by two former students and two current students who were arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on campus in April 2024.
In addition, the students are also taking legal action against the University of Texas System Board of Regents, Gov. Greg Abbott, and officers from UTPD and DPS.
The lawsuit alleges that the students’ pro-Palestinian views led to their unlawful targeting and arrest.
“The University’s actions, in collaboration with Texas state officials and law enforcement, were driven by viewpoint discrimination and hostility towards Plaintiffs’ pro-Palestine advocacy and their association with Palestinians,” the lawsuit states.
Filed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the lawsuit argues officials violated students’ constitutional rights, seeks to overturn disciplinary measures and demands compensation for damages and legal costs.
According to the students, police actions during the protests led to injuries, trauma and lasting negative effects on their studies and careers.
The four students named in the lawsuit all expressed a desire to continue their activism but are “fearful of further retaliation.”
In March 2024, Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order requiring public universities to “establish appropriate punishments for antisemitic rhetoric…” and “ensure that groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine are disciplined for violating these policies.”
After being warned by university officials that their planned actions would violate Institutional Rules by disrupting campus, the UT affiliated Palestine Solidarity Committee protested and established encampments on UT Austin’s South Mall in April.
University of Texas Police, Austin Police and the Texas Department of Public Safety responded to the protests with riot gear and arrested 134 people, 63 of whom were affiliated with UT Austin.
All the charges against the 57 individuals arrested at the April 24 protest were later dropped.
In response to the arrests, the University of Texas altered its free speech policy to include provisions for outside law enforcement in addressing protest violations.
The protests were sparked by a nationwide protest movement on college campuses in response to the Israel-Hamas war. Protesters at UT demanded that the university divest from companies that sell weapons or give money to Israel and demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Tensions in the region escalated after the militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostage. Over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Over 13,000 of those deaths were children, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.
The full lawsuit can be found below.
