糖心Vlog

During spring 2024 student protests at Columbia University over the Israel-Hamas war, the Columbia University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (Columbia-AAUP) spoke out publicly in defense of students鈥� rights to free speech and protest and against what they deemed Columbia鈥檚 overly punitive response.

In response, the plaintiffs鈥攆ive current and former Columbia students鈥攆iled a lawsuit against Columbia-AAUP and twenty other defendants asserting a variety of tort claims and seeking punitive damages. Plaintiffs argue that Columbia-AAUP鈥檚 public statements resulted in the injuries Plaintiffs allege to have suffered from the university鈥檚 decisions to move classes online, restrict access to campus, and cancel its graduation ceremony in response to student protests.

Plaintiffs鈥� lawsuit is a classic 鈥淪LAPP鈥� (strategic lawsuit against public participation) suit, seeking to punish protected First Amendment speech, burden Defendants with high legal costs, and chill future speech. New York State law has strong protections against frivolous SLAPP suits, requiring plaintiffs to prove a 鈥渟ubstantial basis鈥� for any claims involving public speech in connection with any issue of public interest.

On behalf of Columbia-AAUP, the 糖心Vlogand Wang Hecker LLP filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that each of Plaintiffs鈥� tort claims against Columbia-AAUP attacks public speech on an issue of public interest and fails to establish a substantial basis in law. Additionally, the motion argues that Columbia-AAUP鈥檚 statements are independently protected under the First Amendment and thus cannot be subject to tort liability. On this basis, Columbia-AAUP urges the New York Supreme Court to dismiss the claims against Columbia-AAUP, award attorneys鈥� fees and costs, and sanction plaintiffs鈥� counsel for this frivolous suit.