Media Roundup: Civil Rights Groups Announce Historic $100K Settlement from University of Maryland for Unlawfully Suppressing Pro-Palestinian Student Speech

On August 6, 2025, civil rights groups Palestine Legal and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced a historic $100,000 settlement agreement for their clients, University of Maryland Students for Justice in Palestine (UMD SJP), paid by the University of Maryland. The settlement agreement resolved the October 2024 lawsuit filed by the civil rights groups on behalf of UMD SJP against the University for its unconstitutional ban of the students' vigil for Gaza.

To Palestine Legal's knowledge, this settlement likely marked the highest financial penalty ever imposed on a US university for violating pro-Palestinian students' free speech rights.

This settlement came as the Trump administration abuses its power to exert enormous pressure on universities —through investigations, threats to cut billions in funding, and requesting private student records — to intensify their punishment of morally-driven student protests and speech in support of Palestinian rights.

Below is a media roundup of the top 4 stories about the landmark settlement from outlets including DC News Now, Fox 5 DC, Truthout, and The New Arab.

DC News Now

Students for Justice in Palestine win ‘historic’ $100K settlement in suit against University of Maryland | August 6

“In response to our lawsuit, the University of Maryland claimed it was forced to cancel all events on October 7 due to racist threats from pro-Israel individuals, who declared they would organize a KKK rally and come to campus armed if SJP’s vigil proceeded. In its ruling, the court found that University could not bow to threats by shutting down UMD SJP’s event,” Palestine Legal said in a post on social media after the university’s settlement.

CAIR and Palestine Legal announced the university agreed to pay $100,000 — the highest financial penalty ever imposed on a U.S. university for violating pro-Palestinian students’ free speech rights, the attorneys noted.

“From Gaza to the DMV, the occupation and its allies try to erase Palestine, but we resist. As the occupation starves millions in Gaza with U.S. backing, UMD remains complicit in repression,” SJP wrote in a post on social media, in part. “While the university remains complicit in genocide, we’ve forced them to pay. Now we turn their tainted dollars into defiance.”

The group said it would spend the settlement money on organizing and supporting its movement.

Fox 5 DC

University of Maryland to pay $100K in settlement over pro-Palestinian vigil dispute | August 7

CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said the case sends a message to colleges across the country.

"It actually sends a powerful message to campuses nationwide, that students who speak out for Palestinian human rights are protected under the First Amendment and that universities who try to infringe on those rights will be held accountable when they attempt to silence them," said Chaudry.

Truthout

Pro-Palestine Activists Win $100K Settlement From University of Maryland | August 7

According to Palestine Legal, a group representing the students, this is the largest financial penalty ever levied on a university for violating the free speech rights of students advocating for Palestinian rights.

“This legal victory reaffirms our protected rights to protest and speak out against the US-Israeli genocide of Palestinians — and we will keep exercising those rights,” said Daniela Colombi, a UMD SJP member, in a statement. “UMD SJP will spend every dollar of UMD’s $100,000 penalty for banning our vigil for Gaza toward organizing for a free Palestine and for collective liberation.”

The New Arab

Advocates hail 'historic' University of Maryland settlement over pro-Palestinian speech | August 14

"By challenging the silencing of UMD SJP on October 7th through our lawsuit, we have successfully defended the right to speak out against Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza and to challenge the University's complicity in the genocide," said Daniela Colombi in October, who testified at a hearing last year on behalf of UMD SJP, following a preliminary injunction in October, in a public statement issued by Palestine Legal.

Following news of the settlement, she said all the money would be used for Palestinian advocacy.