A federal court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the University of Vermont by the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
That lawsuit, filed in September 2024, challenged the legality of the group’s suspension following pro-Palestinian protests on the university’s campus last spring.
On the night of April 28, 2024, UVM students set up an encampment at the Andrew Harris Commons, joining a nationwide surge of protests over the war in Gaza.
That protest was spearheaded by UVM’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, a national pro-Palestinian group.
UVM issued a temporary suspension against the group on May 1 for violating several campus policies, including using the campus green without permission, setting up temporary structures without a permit and encouraging other students to also violate policies.
The suspension lasted for several months. In September, John Franco, an attorney for the student group, filed a complaint and a motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to lift the suspension in U.S. District Court — arguing that the group’s actions were supported by the First Amendment.
The lawsuit named the university, along with Lina Balcom, UVM director of student life, and Jerome Budomo, the associate director of student life, as defendants.
But on Dec. 20, U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions dismissed the case, as first reported by WCAX.
Sessions, in his decision, focused on the constitutionality of the policies that were used to justify the interim suspension. He concluded that the suspension was merited because the group had violated university policies around temporary structures on campus.
“The Court finds the University’s concerns reasonable. The policy in question addressed two well-established institutional interests: safety and security,” Sessions wrote in the decision. “Allowing students to sleep outside on University property gives rise to vulnerabilities that are not present when students are housed in secure dormitories.”
Other alleged violations in the university’s suspension notice to the group, including the disruption of normal student engagement or work patterns, “also fit within those same legitimate and reasonable University goals,” Sessions wrote.
Franco declined to comment on the ruling, and did not say whether the group would appeal.
Just days after the court decision, the student group’s interim suspension expired, eight months after it was first issued, according to Franco.
The group is now recognized on campus but is under probation — which will last through the end of the 2025 spring semester, he said.
In an emailed statement, the Students for Justice in Palestine group said it was “disappointed” by the lawsuit’s dismissal but it “will return to campus with resilience and strength.”
“We look forward to rejoining the campus community as we march forward together in solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the group said.
Adam White, a spokesperson for the university, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the university’s website, a student organization under probation is monitored for a period no less than one semester. “Further violations of University policies by the organization during the probationary period will result in harsher sanctions, and may include suspension,” the policy reads.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Federal judge dimisses pro-Palestinian student group’s lawsuit against UVM .