A lawsuit filed by seven Illinois State University students against the university has moved to federal court. The Illinois attorney general's office requested a change of venue last week on behalf of the university. The case has been taken up by the U.S. District Court in Peoria, court records show.
ISU President Aondover Tarhule and dean of students Andrew Morgan are named co-defendants in the case, in addition to the university.
The students claim their First Amendment rights were violated during a pro-Palestinian protest in May. They were arrested for trespassing and subsequently suspended for an after-hours demonstration in the campus administration building, Hovey Hall. That criminal case is ongoing.
The plaintiffs have requested a temporary restraining order lifting disciplinary sanctions imposed by the university. According to court filings, those include up to a year of probation and an essay detailing a plan for lawful protests on campus.
The motion claims such an essay violates the students' Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. A response from ISU is due by Aug. 29.
