Florida university system sued over effort to disband pro-Palestinian student group

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s university system is being sued over its effort to silence a chapter of a pro-Palestinian student group. The American Civil Liberties Union says in the suit filed Thursday that the state is is violating the First Amendment rights of the University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. Last month, the state’s university chancellor ordered any chapter of the group be disbanded, claiming it supports terrorism. The state has since backed off the order while it consults with outside lawyers. The lawsuit says the University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine is only loosely affiliated with the national chapter and advocates for peace, not violence.