COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal judge has temporarily blocked Ohio State University from disenrolling a student over political speech, ruling that the school likely violated the student’s First Amendment and due process rights, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
U.S. District Judge Edmund Sargus, Jr., of the Southern District of Ohio granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, halting enforcement of the university’s decision while the case proceeds, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of former Ohio State student Guy Christensen, who told the court that he was disenrolled in May 2025 without formal notice after posting political commentary related to the Israel and Palestine conflict, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
Experts noted in BBC News that tensions between Israel and Palestine are deeply rooted in competing claims to land. The conflict’s origins extend to territorial disputes, wars and ongoing debates over governance, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem.
On Oct. 7, 2023, fighters from Hamas launched an attack from Gaza, killing approximately “1,200 people in Israel and taking 251 hostages.” The assault prompted a large Israeli military response. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 67,000 people died in Gaza.
According to the Ohio Capital Journal, Christensen was a first-year student and social media influencer with more than 3 million followers, known for posting pro-Palestinian content. In a viral post, he initially condemned the deaths of two Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, D.C., but later withdrew his statement and supported the accused, Elias Rodriguez.
In another post, which has since been deleted and is referenced in the lawsuit, Christensen criticized U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres for his “support for Zionism and associations with pro-Israel political entities.” The post prompted Torres to contact the U.S. Capitol Police, requesting an investigation into Christensen for alleged threats.
The Ohio Capital Journal reported that Christensen contends in the lawsuit that his posts are protected under the First Amendment and that Ohio state officials “violated his First Amendment right to free speech by expelling him for engaging in protected political speech, and his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process by expelling him summarily.”
Judge Sargus, Jr., wrote that Christensen “has demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits of his First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment claims,” noting that there was no evidence Christensen disrupted any classes.
The judge further stated that Christensen “did not explicitly encourage violence or lawlessness and is unlikely to be an implicit endorsement … there is no evidence that violence or lawlessness occurred as a result of Mr. Christensen’s speech.”
Regarding due process concerns, the court was told in the lawsuit that Christensen was notified of his disenrollment on the same day it took effect, May 30, and that he was not granted “an opportunity to be heard before his dismissal” under the Fourteenth Amendment.
According to the Ohio Capital Journal, Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson commented via email on the ruling, stating that “we’re disappointed in the ruling.”
In contrast, David Carey, managing legal director of the ACLU of Ohio, described the decision as an important affirmation of constitutional rights. The Ohio Capital Journal reported that Carey said, “We applaud the court’s ruling not only for its vindication of a student’s right to free expression, but also as a critical reminder to our institutions of higher education.”
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