University of Florida College Republicans Sue Over Campus Ban Following Nazi Salute Incident

The University of Florida (UF) removed its College Republicans chapter from campus after a photo surfaced online showing a member performing a Nazi salute. The chapter has responded by filing a lawsuit alleging a violation of their First Amendment rights.

Controversy and Disbandment

The controversy began when an activist posted the photo on X (formerly Twitter), tagging the FBI and UF. The image, along with other photos depicting members with far-right figures like Nick Fuentes and Myron Gaines, quickly circulated on social media.

UF Interim President Donald Landry stated that the Florida Federation of College Republicans (FFCR), which oversees campus GOP groups in the state, informed the university that it had disbanded the UF chapter. Subsequently, UF moved to deactivate the chapter as a registered student organization. Source

The FFCR cited “a pattern of conduct that violated its rules and values, including a recent antisemitic gesture.” Source

Lawsuit and Allegations of Retaliation

The UF College Republicans are being represented in court by Anthony Sabatini, a Lake County commissioner. Sabatini argues that the university is retaliating against the group for its far-right views and protected free speech. He confirmed the Nazi salute photo was a “final straw” for UF, suggesting the university had targeted the group for some time. Source

Sabatini claims the shutdown was also linked to a March 11 event featuring Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback, who has repeatedly referred to his Black opponent, Rep. Byron Donalds, as a “slave.” He alleges the event was used as a pretext to replace the group’s leadership with more “vanilla” conservatives. Source

Affiliation Dispute

The UF College Republicans claim they are not affiliated with the Florida Federation of College Republicans and that the university shouldn’t have taken action based on the FFCR’s decision. However, past Instagram posts from the FFCR show the UF chapter as an affiliated member. Source The UF group states it is part of the College Republicans of America, but was not listed on that organization’s website as of archived webpages dating back to at least 2023. Source

Broader Context

This incident follows a similar situation at Florida International University, where leaked group chat messages from campus conservatives revealed hundreds of uses of racial slurs, antisemitic remarks, and praise of Nazi politics. Source

Florida Senator Rick Scott publicly celebrated the removal of the UF College Republicans from campus, stating that “Antisemitism has no place in the Republican Party, higher education or our country.” Source

Turning Point USA Fallout

The University of Florida College Republicans have also faced backlash from the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) University of Florida chapter, which threatened to remove members for supporting Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson, labeling such support as “hate speech.” Source