The University of Florida has blocked a Republican student group from operating on campus over accusations of antisemitism, after a photo showing two people giving a Nazi salute was posted online.
The group, the University of Florida College Republicans, could lose access to campus spaces and funds under the decision, which was announced on Saturday. The university’s move came after an education and pro-Israel activist shared the photo on social media.
Members of the University of Florida College Republicans violated the rules of a state umbrella group for Republican campus chapters, Donald W. Landry, the university’s interim president, said in a statement. He added that the university “has emphatically supported its Jewish community and remains committed to preventing and addressing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and harassment.”
On Monday, the University of Florida College Republicans filed a federal lawsuit against Dr. Landry. The complaint argues that the university violated the student group’s First Amendment rights and sought to punish it for the protected, off-campus speech of a member.
The student group has also suggested it is being targeted because it hosted an event with a far-right Republican candidate for governor of Florida, James Fishback, who has driven a rift among Florida Republicans.
Other groups of young conservatives have faced blowback over exchanges including derogatory and offensive language that were made public in recent months.
Several weeks ago, a group chat in which student activists at Florida International University made antisemitic, racist and sexist comments was leaked and published on a conservative website. A Miami-Dade County Republican official was present in that group chat.
And last fall, thousands of pages of text transcripts showed glib antisemitism, racism and homophobia among young Republican activists and officials in New York, Vermont, Arizona and Kansas.
In the University of Florida case, a more moderate group, the Florida Federation of College Republicans, informed the university of the campus group’s antisemitic conduct, according to the statement from Mr. Landry.
In addition to the photo of the Nazi salute, the federation’s national affiliate posted screenshots of a campus group chat in which one person said Hitler “didn’t do enough.” In a statement on social media, the National Federation of College Republicans said, “The behavior that was documented was not representative of Republican principles.”
The dispute among various conservative youth groups appears to be the latest conflict over antisemitism within the Republican Party, and part of a yearslong, internecine battle over which organizations and leaders speak for campus conservatives.
The rift initially centered around support or critique of President Trump. But recently, factions have divided over blatant antisemitism, including speech praising or joking about Hitler and the Holocaust. There is also division over the United States’ relationship with Israel. The debates are part of a broader argument among Republicans of all ages.
“This is highly political,” said Anthony Sabatini, a lawyer for the University of Florida College Republicans. He said one of the students pictured making the Nazi salute had attended a club event, but was not a leader. The campus group is being punished, he said, for being “part of the new right or hard right,” in opposition to more mainstream Florida Republicans who are influential within the university’s leadership.
The University of Florida College Republicans has said it has no affiliation with the Federation of College Republicans, the group that opposes it. It says it is associated with a rival national campus Republican organization, the College Republicans of America.
That group describes itself as noninterventionist in foreign policy and in favor of civic nationalism. It has recently come under fire for appointing a political director who has associated with Nick Fuentes, the avowedly antisemitic podcaster and influencer. And the group has ties to European far-right politicians.
“Any sort of bigotry and hatred is wrong and should be widely condemned,” said Martin Bertao, 20, president of the College Republicans of America. His organization was founded in 2023 to build support for Mr. Trump.
He added, “There is a difference between trying to combat antisemitism and then what happened here, jumping to conclusions, not trying to clarify anything, and shutting down a chapter working tirelessly to promote free speech.”
In an email to The New York Times, the individual who wrote the group chat message about Hitler said it was meant as part of joking banter. He described himself as a Christian who disagreed with Jewish beliefs, but said he did not intend to express antisemitism.
He said he was not in the photo of the two people making the Nazi salute and did not know who those people were. He also said he had never been affiliated with the University of Florida College Republicans.
Mr. Fishback, the candidate for governor who is popular with young conservatives, has spoken out in support of the campus group. Other Republicans, including Senator Rick Scott, have supported the effort to disband it.
A spokesman for the University of Florida declined to answer detailed questions about the allegations against the campus group, and did not immediately respond to questions about the lawsuit.
Kirsten Noyes, Georgia Gee and Sheelagh McNeill contributed research.
Dana Goldstein covers education and families for The Times.
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