UMD folds, agrees to settle for $100K and declare pro-Palestinian group in good standing
The legal saga began when UMD Students for Justice in Palestine planned a "vigil" for the anniversary of the bloody October 7 attacks in Israel.
The University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park will pay $100,000 and reinstate a pro-Palestinian student group after canceling a campus vigil and attempting to shut down all student events on the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
The settlement ends a lawsuit filed in federal court by Palestine Legal and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which argued that UMD Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) was unlawfully silenced when the university blocked its planned Oct. 7, 2024 vigil for Gaza.
According to CAIR’s Wednesday announcement of the settlement, UMD canceled the event after allegedly receiving threats from pro-Israel individuals.
On Oct. 1, 2024, U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte ruled in favor of SJP, stating the university violated the First Amendment by suppressing student expression in response to threats.
The court then noted that “this is a matter of law, not of wounded feelings.”
UMD ultimately agreed to a $100,000 payout, which civil rights group Palestine Legal says is the highest financial penalty ever imposed on a U.S. university for violating the speech rights of pro-Palestinian students. The agreement includes no admission of wrongdoing.
UMD also recognized SJP as a student group in “good standing” and acknowledged it had hosted over 100 events since Oct. 7, 2023, all in compliance with university policies.
In a public statement Wednesday, the university reiterated its support for the First Amendment and claimed it “takes very seriously its responsibilities for the safety and security” of students.
The legal victory comes amid growing scrutiny of how universities handle politically charged speech, particularly around the conflict in Israel.