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

August 6, 2025 -- Today, 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 resolves 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 marks the highest financial penalty ever imposed on a US university for violating pro-Palestinian students' free speech rights.

This settlement comes 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.

"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 of UMD SJP. "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."

"UMD SJP's settlement with the University of Maryland demonstrates that violating pro-Palestinian students' First Amendment rights has tangible consequences, and that universities cannot continue to do so with impunity," said Tori Porell, senior staff attorney at Palestine Legal. "This win is not just for Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Maryland, but for all students speaking out for Palestinian freedom across the country.”

“The University of Maryland’s so-called October 7th blackout date was an obvious attempt to silence even the mourning of Palestinian lives,” said Ahmad Kaki, staff attorney at CAIR National. “We’re glad the Court saw through this transparent censorship attempt, and we hope this settlement sends a message to institutions across the country that capitulating to bad faith, anti-Palestinian pressure will cost you.”

During a federal court hearing on the case, University administrators emphasized that they had a positive relationship with SJP and the settlement agreement stipulates that the University must publicly recognize UMD SJP as being in good standing as a student organization.

Background:

CAIR and Palestine Legal sued the University of Maryland on September 17, 2024 for revoking approval for UMD SJP's interfaith vigil on October 7th to mourn lives lost in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, and ultimately banning all student-organized events from taking place on campus that day.

The University responded to CAIR and Palestine Legal's lawsuit by claiming that it was forced to cancel all events due to racist threats from pro-Israel individuals, who had threatened to organize a KKK rally and come to campus armed if SJP’s vigil was allowed to proceed. At the hearing, University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell testified that pro-Israel individuals even threatened UMD President Darryl Pines’ family and used the N-word.

On October 1, 2024, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland ruled in favor of UMD SJP, finding that the university cannot bow to threats from pro-Israel individuals by shutting down the vigil. In reference to the threats by pro-Israel individuals, the court decision noted "...this is a matter of law, not of wounded feelings." 

The Court also noted in its decision that should students use the slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free,” it would also be an expressive idea protected by the First Amendment. 

The group's October 7, 2024 vigil was attended by hundreds of students and covered widely in the media.

Plaintiff’s lawsuit and preliminary injunction can be found here and here.