UT-Austin student sues over arrest during pro-Palestinian demonstrations

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Texas Tribune / Julius Shieh

University of Texas at Austin police arrest student Ammer Qaddumi during a pro-Palestinian demonstration on April 24. He is suing the university, claiming it violated his First Amendment rights.

A University of Texas at Austin student has sued the university, President Jay Hartzell and Vice President and Provost Sharon Wood, claiming that the university violated his First Amendment rights when he was arrested during a pro-Palestinian demonstration on campus this spring.

Ammer Qaddumi filed the lawsuit in U.S. federal court Tuesday, which was first reported by KXAN.

On Thursday, he also requested the judge prevent UT-Austin from moving forward with a disciplinary hearing against him while the lawsuit makes its way through the courts. The court denied that request Thursday afternoon.

According to the lawsuit, UT-Austin is scheduled to hold a hearing Friday to determine whether Qaddumi should be suspended for three semesters for his participation in the protests, barring him from campus or from completing any academic work during that time.

Here’s what you need to know:

What the lawsuit says: On April 23, the Palestine Solidarity Committee, a student group at UT-Austin, called on students to protest the university and its investment into companies that support Israel in response to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The protest was scheduled for the next day.

That evening, according to the lawsuit, the university emailed the student group’s leaders letting them know they would not be allowed to hold the event; two university staffers repeated the message the next day when Qaddumi arrived on campus.

As students started to gather, police called on them to disperse and sought out a student mediator to communicate their directives to the group. Qaddumi volunteered, the lawsuit states, but when he rushed to the front of the crowd to encourage them to disperse and avoid arrest, UT-Austin police arrested him.

Over the summer, Qaddumi received a notice from UT-Austin saying he violated university policy for his involvement in the April 24 protest. Qaddumi tried to dispute the university’s accusations, arguing that it erroneously attributed social media posts from another student group to him. But the university rejected his defense, scheduling a hearing on Aug. 30.

In the lawsuit, Qaddumi argues that the university’s attempt to cancel the event before the students expressed themselves violates their First Amendment rights. He argues the university’s decision to discipline him is retaliation for his beliefs and asks the court to prevent the university from pursuing any further disciplinary action.

UT officials did not respond to The Texas Tribune’s request for comment.

“[T]he University’s response to the lawsuit and claims will be set out in our court filings,” university spokesperson Mike Rosen wrote in an email to KUT. “Until then, no further comment.”

Broader impact: The lawsuit is the latest after multiple protests rocked the UT-Austin campus this spring. University administrators called on law enforcement to intervene, leading to the arrest of 130 individuals who were charged with criminal trespass. Travis County District Attorney Delia Garza has since dropped the charges against all of those arrested.

UT-Austin has issued disciplinary punishments against the students who were arrested, including probation and suspension. While UT-Austin has defended its actions, faculty have criticized the university’s actions. This summer, a university committee alleged administrators violated the university’s rules with their handling of the protests.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Correction, Aug. 29, 2024 at 4:39 p.m.: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named University of Austin Provost Sharon Wood.

This article originally appeared in the Texas Tribune.

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