University of Florida students, arrested for Israel-Gaza protests, sue school

Two University of Florida students have filed a federal lawsuit against the university, alleging its actions were taken with “malice or deliberate indifference” to their federally protected rights.

Plaintiffs Parker Hovis and Keely Gliwa filed their lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Gainesville Division.

They contend defendant University of Florida Board of Trustees violated their rights under the First and Fourth Amendments. The board is the governing body of UF.

“Plaintiffs, students at the University of Florida (‘UF’ or the ‘University’), engaged in peaceful, non-disruptive protest on campus in April 2024 to express their views on the atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza,” the 22-page complaint states.

“In response, the University and its officials created and enforced a series of vague, ad-hoc rules designed to suppress Plaintiffs’ protected speech.”

At the time, Hovis had only four classes left to compl...