Students Take Legal Action Against Texas Officials Over Gaza Protest Crackdown
Four current and former students from the University of Texas at Austin have filed a federal lawsuit against the university and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, claiming they were unlawfully arrested and faced retaliatory discipline for participating in a demonstration criticizing Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
The legal action, lodged Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in San Antonio, is one of several recent challenges across the U.S. targeting how schools and officials have handled pro-Palestinian protests on campus in spring 2024.
Filed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the suit accuses UT Austin President Jay Hartzell, Governor Abbott, and police forces of working together to silence dissent at an April 24 protest.
The filing claims Abbott, with Hartzell’s approval, deployed riot-gear-clad state troopers to detain demonstrators, violating their First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.
University spokesperson Mike Rosen pointed to previous statements defending the arrests as necessary for public safety and crowd control.
He added that most of those taken into custody were not affiliated with UT Austin. Abbott’s office did not comment directly but had posted during the protest, “Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas.”
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Students Describe Trauma and Ongoing Fallout
The plaintiffs say their arrests caused lasting emotional and professional harm. Arwyn Heilrayne, a second-year student, recounted suffering a panic attack after officers forced her to the ground and zip-tied her wrists.
“It is reclaiming our narrative because we were treated as antisemitic criminals,” she said. She has since left an internship at the state legislature and was diagnosed with PTSD.
Mia Cisco, a third-year student, said the urgency of filing suit grew as she watched national efforts to penalize foreign students for political speech.
Cisco said police forcibly removed her hijab during her arrest. “It’s really vital and crucial right now to make sure that that we say that it’s not okay,” she stated.
Dozens of protestors were taken into custody but released two days later when the Travis County Attorney’s Office dropped charges, citing insufficient evidence. Despite this, the university reportedly continued disciplinary actions against those arrested.
ADC Director Abed Ayoub emphasized that the First Amendment remains a priority for many Americans. “Governor Abbott and others are underestimating how much Americans value their First Amendment rights,” he said.
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