Columbia U., Federal Agencies Must Defend Students’ Speech Suit

Columbia University and several federal agencies will have to face claims they violated the First Amendment rights of students, including one who was detained by US authorities over his role in pro-Palestinian protests, a federal judge ruled.

The judge refused to dismiss free-speech claims against the university and the agencies, but also declined the students’ motion to issue a preliminary injunction, saying the materials presented by Mahmoud Khalil and seven other current and former students don’t meet the standard for an injunction. The students can renew their motion when they believe they have sufficient evidence, though they “will have only ...