Palestinian-American medical student Umaymah Mohammad has recently sued. She subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against Emory University in Atlanta for discriminating against her under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit is rooted in her recent expulsion from medical school. She claims the suspension was a retaliatory act in response to her public statements opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The suit, which names the university, its board of trustees, and John William Eley, a dean at the medical school, centers on allegations of “intentional discrimination and retaliation” during the disciplinary proceedings that led to her suspension. Mohammad, then completing a dual degree in medical sociology at Emory. Instead, she was suspended for one whole year, moving her expected graduation date back to 2029.
In April 2024, Mohammad appeared on “Democracy Now!” Here she is on stage with the former administrators of the university passionately discussing the climate on campus for student protesters. In this episode, she focused on the use of tasers by police on students. These students had been in the process of protesting ISRAEL’S genocide in Gaza. As a result, her comments have become the crux of the controversy over her suspension.
Emory University’s own committee on free expression defended Mohammad’s speech as protected under the institution’s policies. Despite this endorsement, the university concluded that she “violated ‘the standards and expectations of the medical profession’,” leading to her suspension. Later, her oral appeal against this decision was rejected.
Somewhat recently, Mohammad was informed that a new complaint had been filed, this time for her comments about Israel and Palestine. This adds yet another layer of complexity to her experience as she wades through the legal terrain marked by her case.
The Council on Islamic-American Relations in Georgia (Cair-Ga) is now serving as Mohammad’s legal representation in her lawsuit. According to Azka Mahmood of Cair-Ga, this case is an important and powerful demand for accountability and justice. It would have a profound effect on how student activists are being – and will continue to be – treated across the country.
“Stopping disciplinary proceedings for protected expression – and that this becomes more of a policy moving forward,” – Keon Grant
As Keon Grant noted, this is all happening in a climate that is increasingly hostile to free expression in our academic spaces. He noted, “I definitely think the new Title VI world we’re living in is much more challenging.” Mahmood drove this point home. As he elaborated, now the issue has become a vehicle for targeting student activism more broadly, and specifically around Palestine.
“Is now being weaponized to target student activism [on behalf of Palestine],” – Azka Mahmood
The lawsuit is narrowing in its demands, but still raises important questions about academic freedom. It further reaffirms students’ rights to express their personal political views without intimidation or threat of punishment. The fallout from Mohammad’s suspension raises questions about how universities balance these rights with their expectations of professional conduct among students.