In late June 2026, Florida International University (FIU), a public research university that is part of the state university system, issued disciplinary penalties against seven students for participating in a peaceful and non-disruptive protest on campus. The disciplinary penalties included a written reprimand and a requirement that the students record videos expressing an understanding of the university’s expression action policies.
On March 13, 2026, a group of students and faculty protested the university’s partnership with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a “fireside chat” between university president Jeanette Nuñez and retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez, held in an auditorium on campus. Dozens of students and faculty protested outside by chanting. Around 20 students went inside the event. After about 40 minutes, they stood up quietly, unzipped their jackets to reveal t-shirts stating “ICE OFF FIU.” University officials later confirmed that the students did not disrupt the event and that no attendees complained about the protest action. On their way out of the event, security guards stopped the students and asked for their IDs.
After the event, several of the students who protested inside received letters from the university that informed them that they were under investigation for violating the university’s rules. At least seven students were charged with violating the FIU’s expressive action policies prohibiting “protests, parades, marches, picketing, demonstrations, and other similar expressive activities … inside University buildings or other University indoor facilities.” In June, the seven students received written reprimands from FIU and were also told that they were each required to record a two-minute video responding to a prompt about “what is expected … related to indoor and outdoor areas, and how you will apply what you have learned moving forward.” FIU informed the students that the videos must be “original,” “thoughtful,” and “substantive,” and that the office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity could ask the students to re-record their videos if it was not satisfied with them.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about a university levying disciplinary penalties against students for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression. Such expression is expressly protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and Article I of the Constitution of the State of Florida. While university authorities may promulgate policies concerning events on campus, including security policies and policies against material disruptions, such policies must be narrowly drawn, content neutral, and universally applied. Public university policies which ban, limit, or otherwise sanction protest or other expressive activities which do not endanger others or materially disrupt university functions are impermissible. Scholars at Risk is further concerned about disciplinary sanctions which could be interpreted as compelling specific, state-approved speech as a condition of continuing status in the university community, and which mandate a form of speech (video recording) which goes beyond disciplinary or pedagogical necessity and could expose individuals to intimidation or harassment. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, disciplinary measures aimed at limiting nonviolent expression or compelling state-approved expressive activity undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2026-07-01/fiu-students-silent-protest-immigration
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/fiu-investigates-students-over-anti-ice-protest-40538946/
https://www.fire.org/research-learn/fire-letter-florida-international-university-june-18-2026