ACLU sues University of Michigan over campus bans for pro-Palestinian protesters
The suit accuses the school of violating plaintiffs' free speech rights and argues that it “abused its authority to ban people from public property.”
LANSING, Mich. — Jonathan Zou, a second-year student at the University of Michigan, was among the thousands of students who joined pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses nationwide this past year. Although the campus protests have subsided, the repercussions for students like Zou remain.
Since his arrest by university police last Oct. 7 after using a megaphone during a pro-Palestinian march, Zou has been banned from all University of Michigan campuses, except for attending class or seeking medical care.
Zou is one of five individuals facing similar bans who the American Civil Liberties Union is representing in a lawsuit that accuses the University of Michigan of violating their right to free speech. The lawsuit, filed Monday by the ACLU in federal court, also argues that the university “abused its authority to ban people from public property.”
“The university says it appreciates this history of activism, but it will arrest students, ban students, surveil students and repress them through legal or school disciplinary means,” Zou said in an interview before the lawsuit was filed.
In response to a request for comment, a University of Michigan spokesperson said the university has not been served with the lawsuit and has no comment at this time.
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