One of the country’s largest Muslim advocacy organizations is involved in suing University of Missouri System President Mun Choi for free speech infringement.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations held a press conference Wednesday to announce the lawsuit, which centers on Choi’s decision to bar the Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine from participating in last year’s homecoming parade.
Staff attorney Ahmed Kaki argued that Choi’s exclusion of the student group violated their free speech rights.
“Dr. Choi did not involve himself in any other application except for MSJPs,” Kaki said. “Public universities cannot open events for the public for expression, like they did with the homecoming parade, then filter which viewpoints they want expressed at these events.”
CAIR recently won another free speech case against the University of Maryland for cancelling an October 7th anniversary vigil. A court ordered the university to allow the vigil, and the students and their attorneys were later paid $100,000 through a settlement with the university.
CAIR is looking for the university to allow MSJP to participate in the 2025 homecoming parade and award the group damages for last year’s parade.
The university says that it will defend its decision and holds that the group was denied to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.
