BURLINGTON, Vt. — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against the University of Vermont (UVM) by a pro-Palestinian student group.
The lawsuit, filed by UVM’s Students for Justice is Palestine (SJP) chapter, challenged the legality of the school’s interim suspension of the group following a 10-day demonstration on campus, NBC reports.
Last April, the students set up an encampment at Andrew Harris Commons with more than a dozen tents to protest the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. UVM subsequently issued a monthslong temporary suspension against the group on May 1 for allegedly violating several campus policies, including using the campus green without permission, setting up temporary structures without a permit, and encouraging other students to also violate policies.
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In Sept. 2024, John Franco, an attorney for the student group, filed a complaint and a motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to lift the suspension in the U.S. District Court. Franco argued that the group’s actions were supported by the First Amendment, according to VT Digger.
In addition to the university, the lawsuit named Linda Balcom, director of student life, and Jerome Budomo, associate director of student life, as defendants.
The case was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions on Dec. 20.
“The Court finds the University’s concerns reasonable. The policy in question addressed two well-established institutional interests: safety and security,” Sessions wrote in the decision. “Allowing students to sleep outside on University property gives rise to vulnerabilities that are not present when students are housed in secure dormitories.”
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The group’s suspension was lifted eight months after it was first issued and just days after the court decision, Franco said. Although the group is now recognized on campus, it is under probation through the end of the 2025 spring semester.
“We look forward to rejoining the campus community as we march forward together in solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the group said.
