A federal court on Thursday ruled against a student leader of the April 2024 pro-Palestine protests in his suit challenging his suspension by the University.
The ruling in favor of the University ends a yearslong legal battle between Ammer Qaddumi, a former student and member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, and the University that suspended him for three semesters after the PSC and others disobeyed a University directive to cancel an on-campus protest, according to court documents. The April 2024 protests drew national attention and resulted in the arrest of dozens of protesters on UT’s campus. A University spokesperson declined a request for comment.
Qaddumi sued former UT President Jay Hartzell, in his official capacity, in August of that year to prevent UT from enforcing his suspension on the grounds that it violated his free speech rights under the First Amendment, according to court documents. Qaddumi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While his suit was in court, Qaddumi’s suspension was enforced, according to the documents. He returned to campus in spring 2025 and graduated in May 2026, but retains the disciplinary mark on his academic record.
Federal judge Robert Pitman ruled in favor of UT, citing a 1969 court precedent that ruled schools may prohibit student expression if they anticipate disruption or interference with academic activities. Pitman wrote that the precedent can be applied to university settings with consideration for a case’s unique circumstances.
Pitman wrote that because UT applied a “viewpoint-neutral” policy, or a policy applied to everyone regardless of political belief, Qaddumi could not prove that the University violated his First Amendment rights.
“The question before this Court is not whether UT should have handled the April 24, 2024, protest and Qaddumi’s discipline in the manner that it did; it is UT and the public’s place to confront that question,” Pitman wrote.