The College Fix

Argues she was helping panicking activist

A University of Florida student is appealing her three-year suspension and hold on her diploma following her involvement in a pro-Palestinian protest.

Graduate student Keely Gliwa is one of nine activists sanctioned by the Gainesville public university for their role in an April pro-Palestinian protest. She completed all the requirements to graduate with her master’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology.

She violated the dispersal order because she was helping another activist who was having a panic attack, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

“Gliwa has never denied that she failed to disperse. When the dispersal order was initially given, Gliwa didn’t realize it was directed at her and she stayed to comfort a student who was having a panic attack,” attorney Jessie Appleby stated in an email to The College Fix.

The group is not formally representing her, but said Gliwa’s suspension is pending on appeal. The recent graduate has a separate attorney who is representing her.

“Once she realized the order included her, she tried to coax the distressed student to leave with her,” Appleby said. “While her failure to immediately comply with the dispersal order was unintentional, Gliwa has acknowledged to UF that she made a mistake and accepts that she will be sanctioned as a result.”

The national free speech group says the school’s policies were quickly written and not viewpoint neutral.

FIRE previously sent a letter to then-President Ben Sasse, asking for an overturn of Gliwa’s suspension. The letter made three main points—the rules were “hastily-adopted,” the rules seem to target the pro-Palestinian viewpoint, and overall, that Gliwa’s suspension was “disproportionate and unreasonable.”

Appleby told The Fix “a three-year suspension resulting in the university withholding her completed degree is wildly disproportionate to the underlying offense, which was an unintentional mistake made in a chaotic atmosphere that in no way hindered officers’ work.”

The hearing body for Gliwa’s sanctions recommended probation. However, Dean of Students Chris Summerlin enacted a stronger punishment.

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FIRE states in its letter that Gliwa was “engaged in the peaceful exercise of her First Amendment rights,” and that she was not purposely committing misconduct.

The university declined to comment specifically on Gliwa’s case for privacy reasons but defended its policies.

“The university clearly, patiently, and repeatedly communicated existing rules to students and then enforced those rules,” Associate Vice President for Communications Steve Orlando told The Fix via email. “The university has, and will continue to maintain, a good working relationship with FIRE.”

The university has a “green light” rating from FIRE, meaning its written policies generally protect free speech.

A former university administrator who now runs Campus Safety Solutions said the withholding of a degree does seem extreme, but that protesters should follow the rules.

“I think there’d have to be a dialogue, any time protestors are on campus, they need to follow predetermined policies, which most campuses have,” Michael Colegrove told The Fix via a phone call. Colegrove worked as “a school administrator for more than 40 years,” according to his University of Cumberlands profile.

Colegrove said disciplinary action should usually take place in the case of harm to others in some way.

“I think any time they’re infringing on the rights of students, any time they’re disrupting normal campus procedure, that calls for disciplinary action.”

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