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ACLU Questions FAMU’s Ban on Student Groups

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is criticizing Florida A&M University’s decision to cancel a summer band camp and block students from joining clubs during a hazing investigation.

State ACLU executive director Howard Simon says the move violates students’ First Amendment rights. He’s made a public records request to school President James Ammons for an explanation on the bans announced earlier this week.

Simon says the right for students to gather and discuss various issues must be protected.

Ammons said Tuesday that he’s cancelling a summer band camp and temporarily blocking students from joining clubs while the university reviews how those groups operate. The band has come under scrutiny as a probe continues into the hazing-related death of a band member in November.

A New Track: Fostering Diversity and Equity in Athletics
American sport has always served as a platform for resistance and has been measured and critiqued by how it responds in critical moments of racial and social crises.
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A New Track: Fostering Diversity and Equity in Athletics