CAIR, Palestine Legal sue University of Maryland for canceling SJP-led Oct. 7 vigil for victims of Israel's 'genocide'
The Maryland Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Palestine Legal announced a federal lawsuit against the University of Maryland on behalf of its chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
According to a message sent to UMD students from university president Darryll Pines, the decision was made after he received an 'overwhelming' amount of complaints about the event.
Two leftist groups have filed a lawsuit against the University of Maryland for canceling anti-Israel student activists’ planned vigil for those killed in the Jewish state’s ongoing “genocide.”
On Sept. 17, the Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), along with Palestine Legal, announced that they are filing a federal lawsuit against the school on behalf of its chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
[RELATED: ‘Exciting’ new UMD course aims to remove the ‘whiteness’ from LGBTQ+ studies]
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs are challenging university’s desicion to revoke UMD-SJP’s “approval to host an interfaith vigil on October 7th to mourn lives lost in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.” Oct. 7 is the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ terror attacks that resulted in the killing of over 1,000 Israelis.
The plaintiffs argue that the university rescinded permission given to UMD-SJP for the event after several groups and individuals that support Israel “called on the event to be censored.”
On Sept. 1, university president Darryll Pines issued a message to UMD students in which he said the decision was made after he received an “overwhelming” amount of complaints about the event.
“Today, I write to you in anticipation of the upcoming one-year anniversary of October 7, 2023,” Pines wrote. “As a university community, we acknowledge the significance of the anniversary of October 7 and recognize the horrific suffering it represents for people here on our campus and across the globe.”
Pines also goes on to explain that he ordered a “routine and targeted safety assessment” to “understand the risks and safety measures associated with planned events.” While he pointed out that there was no “immediate or active threat,” Pines wrote that the school has chosen to “host only university-sponsored events” on Oct. 7.
According to the complaint filed by CAIR and Palestine Legal, the cancellation of SJP’s vigil constitutes a violation of “constitutional commands.”
“By revoking UMDSJP’s permission to host their vigil, which they planned to co-host with Jewish Voice for Peace at the University of Maryland (another recognized student group), the Government censors speech—based on viewpoint, on content, and the identity of the speaker—on a matter of vital public discourse and concern,” the groups wrote. “It has no legally adequate reason to do so.”
“The University’s decision constitutes unlawful viewpoint and content-based discrimination, in violation of the First Amendment,” Palestine Legal said in a press release. “This cancellation continues a trend where universities across the country have targeted, harassed, and punished pro-Palestinian, anti-genocide students on their campuses.”
On Sept. 16, Campus Reform reported that CAIR filed a Title VI complaint against the University of Georgia, which alleges that anti-Israel protesters were unlawfully discriminated against when they faced disciplinary action from the school.
Campus Reform has contacted CAIR, Palestine Legal, UMD-SJP, and the University of Maryland for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
