The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio has sued Ohio State University for allegedly violating the free speech rights of an OSU student who was expelled after he posted pro-Palestine comments on social media.
Guy Christensen completed his first year as an undergraduate student at OSU in the spring.
The ACLU also sued for violation of Christensen’s 14th Amendment right to due process because university officials expelled him without hearing his side.
David Carey, managing director of the ACLU of Ohio, said Christensen, who has a strong following on social media, had withdrawn his condemnation of the gunman who shot and killed two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. Carey called the comments pure political speech.
"That is protected speech,” Carey said. “That is an opinion. The question is not whether OSU agrees with it. The question is not whether anyone agrees with it. The question was whether it was protected by the 1st Amendment. And it plainly was."
Carey said the lawsuit also seeks to have Christensen's academic records expunged of any mention of why he was expelled, which the university said was a risk to campus safety.
Carey also said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also called for an investigation into Christensen.
"There were comments on social media by, among others, the Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi, and senior Department of Justice officials who were saying that Mr. Christensen needed to be investigated,” Carey said. "Although he was voicing some very strong opinions and in very sort of heated terms, he certainly did not intend to incite any kind of unlawful activity or call for anyone to commit violence."
Ben Johnson, a spokesperson for Ohio State, responded to WOSU in an email with a statement saying the university will not comment on pending litigation. Johnson also said Ohio State is committed to protecting freedom of speech and expression.
