Student group sues University of Kansas, says school singled out Gaza protesters
A pro-Palestinian student organization has sued the University of Kansas, accusing the university and top administrators of selectively enforcing campus rules and punishing student activists after a protest last spring. It is the second lawsuit to arise from the university’s response to Gaza-related demonstrations in May 2024.
The lawsuit was filed last month in Douglas County District Court by Students for Justice in Palestine at KU and two of its officers, Linnaea Radley and Mya Hoersdig. The group has roughly 100 active members and is one of an estimated 400 Palestinian solidary chapters at universities across the country. It alleges the university violated students’ constitutional rights by imposing curfews, authorizing arrests and pursuing disciplinary sanctions in a way that targeted their viewpoint while allowing other demonstrators to remain.
Named as defendants are the University of Kansas; Chancellor Douglas A. Girod; Vice Provost for Student Affairs Tammara Durham; and Phil Neuman, a senior student conduct hearing officer.
The case stems from a series of anti-war protests held from May 1 to May 9 on Fraser Lawn. According to the complaint, KU administrators allowed the demonstrations to continue until commencement weekend, when officials notified participants that they would have to leave the lawn by 10 p.m., citing increased campus activity tied to graduation. The notice warned that anyone who remained could be subject to arrest for trespassing.
The lawsuit alleges that the dispersal order and threat of arrest were directed at SJP members but not at counterprotesters supporting Israel who were present at the same location, including members of Jewish student organizations. Plaintiffs argue that enforcing time, place and manner restrictions against only one group amounts to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.
Later that night, KU police moved in to clear the area. Officers arrested three students inside Anschutz Library and charged them with criminal trespass. Those charges were later dropped.
In the weeks after the protest, KU’s Student Affairs office initiated disciplinary proceedings against Students for Justice in Palestine and its officers, citing alleged violations that included improper camping, the use of signs attached to sticks, chalking sidewalks and excessive noise.
The complaint characterizes the allegations as minor, noting that similar conduct is common at athletic events and other campus activities without disciplinary consequences. The lawsuit also challenges KU’s camping policy, which generally prohibits overnight camping except in limited circumstances such as athletic tailgating, arguing it is enforced in a way that suppresses expressive activity.
KU ultimately imposed sanctions that included warnings, mandatory educational programming and a designation that SJP was “not in good standing,” a status the university published publicly.
“We were put on a list alongside sororities and fraternities that have been sanctioned for things like hazing and alcohol abuse and assault,” SJP vice president Maxwell DiGiovanni told The Star. “We’ve done nothing like that. It feels like there’s this authoritarian hand that’s trying to silence us through fear.”
Two SJP officers appealed the sanctions. In May 2025, a university appeals panel overturned nearly all of the findings against the group, leaving only an educational requirement related to camping rules.
Less than a month later, however, university administrators rejected the panel’s conclusions, stating that the appeals board was advisory and reinstating the original sanctions. The lawsuit argues that decision violated due process.
The plaintiffs are seeking to have the disciplinary sanctions invalidated, SJP removed from any list of punished organizations, and limits placed on how KU enforces protest-related policies. The lawsuit also seeks damages and attorneys’ fees. Because Kansas law places restrictions on unincorporated associations bringing suit, the plaintiffs are asking the court to certify the case as a class action on behalf of the group’s members.
An earlier lawsuit filed in May by the three students who were arrested in the library remains pending in Douglas County. In addition to KU and Neuman, that suit also names four KUPD officers as defendants. A judge recently denied most of the university’s motion to dismiss that case, allowing it to move forward, though KU has filed an interlocutory appeal challenging that ruling.
Attorney Dan Curry, who represents both the student group and the three arrested students, said the lawsuits are aimed at clearing the record for those involved.
“Both parties I’m representing in these lawsuits are looking for the same thing: to be vindicated for expressing what was appropriate First Amendment speech,” Curry said.
Kate Simpson, attorney for the KU officials, declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation. In previous statements, the university has said it supports free expression while balancing safety and campus operations.
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Student group sues University of Kansas, says school singled out Gaza protesters."
