(CBS-DETROIT) – A federal lawsuit alleges that University of Michigan leaders, including President Santa Ono, violated students’ constitutional rights.
The lawsuit alleges that Ono, the university’s Board of Regents and other groups working with the university are violating students’ freedom of speech, due process and equal protection rights.
The plaintiffs, who include University of Michigan graduates, Michigan residents and a Palestinian solidarity organization, allege that university leaders retaliated against them for their advocacy for human rights.
“In every event they have experienced, there have been counter-protesters that have been disruptive or even more disruptive,” said John Philo, an attorney representing the plaintiffs. “To our knowledge, no counter-protester has attended a disciplinary hearing. None of the organizations that organized the protests have seen this hearing, and what we are looking for is balance.”
Many students have been protest the war between Israel and Hamas last year, and they did just that called on the university to divest from Israel.
The lawsuit, filed Friday, alleges that university leaders punished the plaintiffs for their speech in a manner that no other student or student group has been subjected to.
“The university has targeted students, including plaintiffs, whom they view as leaders of the student movement for Palestine,” the lawsuit said.
In response, a spokesperson for the University of Michigan said the claims have no merit and that the school will “vigorously defend itself against this lawsuit.”
