University of Toledo Divestment Resolution Passes by a Landslide

Credit: Abigail Sullivan

Student Senate Votes 21-4 in Favor of Divestment

On Tuesday, the student government at University of Toledo (UT) voted 21-4 in favor of passing a resolution to divest from companies that profit from Israel’s occupation.  This outstanding victory came just two weeks after the university blocked the public from attending the hearing, restricted students’ presence during arguments and ultimately stopped student senators from voting on the resolution  – moves that violated the free speech rights of the SJP students proposing the resolution as well as Ohio’s Open Meetings Act.

The SJP students are represented by Barbara Harvey, a National Lawyers Guild (NLG) pro-bono attorney who, in a letter to the university, urged the administration to comply with its obligation to protect the First Amendment rights of its students and reverse its decision to cancel the hearing.  Palestine Solidarity Legal Support (PSLS) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) also sent a letter advising the administration of the unconstitutionality of its scrutiny and limitation of SJP’s expressive conduct.