Two Florida university chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine sued their schools and state officials, alleging a state order to deactivate the groups violated their First Amendment rights.
The University of Florida and the University of South Florida SJP chapters both denied their groups had violated a Florida law prohibiting support for terrorism
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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration ordered two major universities in Florida to remove Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters from campus Wednesday, citing the organizations’ support for “terrorism.”
Multiple student organizations at elite colleges and universities signed open letters or held rallies in support of Palestinians following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, including the University of Florida and the University of South Florida. The chancellor of Florida’s university system, Ray Rodrigues, called on the colleges to disband SJP chapters Tuesday following their declaration of support for Palestinians, alleging they violated Florida’s antisemitism laws.
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In an email obtained by Campus Reform in early March, a professor at the University of South Florida (USF) suggested ways for her students to show support for students arrested during a protest organized by the leftist organization Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
The protest was held in response to Governor DeSantis’ efforts to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion and critical race theory initiatives at public universities in Florida. The four individuals arrested during the protest were each charged with either “assault or battery of law enforcement,” student newspaper The Oracle reported.
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Public universities in Florida are allowing students to add their preferred pronouns to various forms of university identification.
In Fall 2021, for example, USF student newspaper The Oracle reported on the school’s plan to begin allowing students, faculty, and staff to add preferred pronouns to their USF IDs.
The purpose of these new policies is to make campuses more inclusive and welcoming, University of South Florida [USF] Student Government (SG) Lt. Governor Kiara Brooks told Campus Reform.
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Scientists at the University of Florida developed a model which says Florida’s delta variant of COVID has not yet peaked, but the future of the pandemic could be similar to flu seasons where booster shots might be normal.
Ira Longini, Ph.D. and Thomas Hladish’s model says the high transmissibility of the delta variant is the cause of the increase in cases, but they are not able to forecast the pandemic past December 2021.
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A free-speech group has repeatedly warned the University of South Florida about the unfairness and unconstitutionality of its coronavirus guidelines.
The Southeastern Legal Foundation has now sent three letters to the public university in Florida, warning it about problems with both its approaches to student gatherings and coronavirus tracking and reporting.
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