Three sue Case Western Reserve University over spray-painting of protesters—Cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three pro-Palestinian student protesters sued Case Western Reserve University on Wednesday over contractors spraying them with paint on campus.
Video of the May 7, 2024, incident went viral after it showed protesters getting doused with paint.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Cleveland, accused university officials of violating the protesters’ free-speech rights and accused them of using excessive force. A similar lawsuit was filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. . . .
Attorney Peter Pattakos filed the lawsuits on behalf of protesters Kevin Kennelly, Weillin Feng and Ameer Alkayali, whose family owns Algebra Tea House in Little Italy near Case‘s campus. . . .
Pattakos wrote in the lawsuit that the incident was “shockingly unconstitutional.” . . .
Officers, who spoke with officials, told the painters they could shoot the spray paint on the protesters, the lawsuit said. . . .
Kaler issued an apology the same day and said he would hold people responsible, including the officers for failing to intervene.
“Let me be clear: No students — or any individuals — should ever be treated this way, especially on a campus where our core values center on providing a safe, welcoming environment. This is not who we are as an institution, and I am deeply sorry this ever occurred,” Kaler’s statement said at the time.