Florida International University has suspended two students who held Republican Party leadership positions for their involvement in a text chat that included slurs against Jewish, Black, gay people and women.
The suspensions, disclosed in court papers, come as several college Republican groups across the country face scrutiny for racism and antisemitism after disclosures that suggest they are increasingly embracing white nationalist sentiments.
The two-year suspensions were handed to Abel Carvajal, a law student at the university who had served as secretary of the Miami-Dade Republican Party, and Dariel Gonzalez, who headed recruitment for the college Republicans at F.I.U., a public university. Both have been banned from campus.
The two men were among four students who sued F.I.U. in federal court in April after the university’s decision to discipline them over the group chat, which was disclosed by The Miami Herald in March.
Anthony Sabatini, a Florida lawyer representing the students, said that the case involved a private group chat and the university’s action violated the First Amendment.
“It’s free speech and they’re being penalized for it,” Mr. Sabatini said Thursday. “This isn’t even a close case.”
A spokesperson for F.I.U. could not be reached for comment. The suspensions of Mr. Carvajal and Mr. Gonzalez, dated May 11, were disclosed in court papers filed in U.S. District Court in Miami last week and also by The Miami Herald.
Mr. Gonzalez wrote statements that included “Avoid the coloreds like the plague” and “I would def not marry a Jew,” according to the court documents. The statements were contained in hundreds of pages of the group chat released in court.
Mr. Carvajal, who resigned his party position in March, was accused of managing the group chat where the inflammatory statements were posted. In a public statement, Mr. Carvajal said that he was not actively participating in the online conversation when the most egregious statements were made, acknowledging that they were “inappropriate.”
The students are expected to appeal the decision, Mr. Sabatini said.
The suspensions of the two students followed the ejection of a college Republican group at another campus, the University of Florida, after allegations that the club engaged in racist, antisemitic and misogynistic behavior. The accusations include a claim that one group member delivered a Nazi salute. That group is also fighting its case in federal court.
Stephanie Saul reports on colleges and universities, with a recent focus on the dramatic changes in college admissions and the debate around diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education.
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