Federal Court Grants Permanent Injunction in ACLU of Ohio Lawsuit Challenging Ohio State University’s Violation of Student’s Constitutional Rights

COLUMBUS – Earlier this month, a federal court entered a permanent injunction in favor of the ACLU of Ohio’s client, Guy Christensen, in a lawsuit challenging the Ohio State University’s decision to expel him for engaging in protected political speech. This result marks a major victory for academic freedom in this era of heightened pressure, surveillance, and censorship of public colleges and universities.

On January 14, a federal judge in the Southern District of Ohio ruled in favor of Mr. Christensen and granted a preliminary injunction, finding that his expulsion likely violated his First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment rights. On July 13, the ACLU of Ohio filed a motion requesting that the court convert the preliminary injunction to a permanent injunction. As part of a settlement agreement, the university agreed not to oppose the conversion. The injunction requires Ohio State to expunge any of Mr. Christensen’s student records claiming that he violated the Code of Student Conduct, committed any disciplinary infraction, or presented any risk to university safety. Additionally, the agreement provides for recovery of attorneys’ fees from the University.

The ACLU of Ohio filed the lawsuit in September 2025 after campus officials summarily disenrolled Mr. Christensen without a hearing, following a series of videos he posted on his personal social media pages expressing opinions related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

A statement from David Carey, Managing Legal Director:

“This outcome sends a powerful and important message to public universities in Ohio and beyond: students’ political speech, no matter how controversial, is protected by the Constitution. Universities like Ohio State are charged with fostering an environment of intellectual diversity and civil disagreement. They must not buckle to outside pressure to punish their students for protected speech—and if they do, they should expect litigation. The court’s permanent injunction will allow Guy Christensen to continue his academic career as he sees fit, with an unblemished record.”

The ACLU and its affiliates are a U.S.-focused civil liberties and human rights organization and, as a matter of official policy, does not take positions on other nations’ overseas conflicts.