Civil rights groups sue University of Michigan, allege retaliation against pro-Palestinian protester

A group of civil rights activists is suing the University of Michigan for allegedly retaliating against a pro-Palestinian student.

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) and the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

According to the lawsuit, university officials are accused of harassing Josiah Walker, a Black Muslim student, who participated in protests between 2023 and 2024 following the Israel-Hamas war. The lawsuit alleges that Walker was arrested without probable cause and endured excessive force and seizure of his personal property.

"The campaign against Mr. Walker disrupted his education; barred him from employment at the university; placed him in financial peril as a student working to afford his education; damaged his reputation; invaded his privacy; caused physical injury; inflicted emotional distress; deprived him of his property; and caused other harm and damages," read the lawsuit.

CBS News Detroit reached out to the university, which says it had no comment.

According to the lawsuit, Walker participated in an encampment at the university in April 2024, calling for U of M to divest in Israel. A month later, university police cleared the encampment, arresting multiple people. The lawsuit alleges that an officer pepper-sprayed Walker directly in the face, although Walker did not pose a threat and attempted to comply with police.

Walker claimed that undercover investigators contracted by the university followed him around the campus. In 2025, U of M dropped the company following similar allegations from students. 

The lawsuit claims excessive force in August 2024 when Walker was detained while observing a demonstration near the Diag. The lawsuit claims that Walker was not participating in the demonstration and was only recording it when he was allegedly forcibly detained.

"Defendants' actions did, in fact, cause [Walker] to experience significant emotional distress, including anxiety, fear for his personal safety, disrupted sleep, and the constant feeling of being watched, followed, and singled out for punishment because of his identity and beliefs," read the lawsuit.