FSU student sues President John Thrasher, student government for First Amendment violation

Jack Denton, a Florida State University student, filed a lawsuit against university leadership on Monday for what he describes as an “unconstitutional retaliation” against his personal religious beliefs.

According to the lawsuit, Denton claims the FSU Student Senate removed him as Senate President in retaliation for his private religious speech.

He is seeking reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and the expungement of all records relating to the Senate’s actions against him.

On June 3, Denton in a private text conversation suggested that BlackLivesMatter.com, Reclaim the Block, and the ACLU advocate for causes opposed to Catholic teachings, according to the lawsuit. He also suggested Catholic students should avoid financially supporting the organizations.

Those messages, however, were later made public by another student on social media.

The lawsuit says Student Senators mocked Denton, a Roman Catholic, for the texts and removed him from leadership days later.

In a message cited in the lawsuit, Denton wrote “BlackLivesMatter.com fosters ‘a queer affirming network’ and defends transgenderism.” He also wrote that the “ACLU defends laws protecting abortion facilities and sued states that restrict access to abortion.”

The Alliance Defending Freedom organization is representing Denton. The group is a non-profit legal organization that “advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.”

They maintain Denton’s messages are consistent with Roman Catholic Church teachings.

“All students should be able to peacefully share their personal convictions without fear of retaliation,” said ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer. “Florida State should be fostering real diversity of thought, not punishing individuals based on their religious convictions or political beliefs. While FSU students claim they’re creating a ‘safe space,’ they’ve tried to cancel Jack’s freedoms and discriminate against him because they don’t like his beliefs, in direct violation of the school’s SGA Ethics Code, the Student Body Constitution, and—most importantly—the First Amendment.”

The lawsuit comes weeks after Denton received no response from university officials to a letter sent on June 22, the lawsuit said. The letter contains transcripts of Denton’s text messages and argues Denton’s case.

“Jack has patiently appealed to fellow students and university administrators using the university’s internal procedures,” Langhofer continued, “but students and administrators have repeatedly failed to respect Jack’s constitutionally protected freedoms. That’s why we’re filing a federal lawsuit to defend Jack.”

Denton’s attorneys claim the Senate’s actions have harmed him financially and permanently damaged his reputation.

The lawsuit’s defendants include FSU President John Thrasher, Student Affairs Vice President Amy Hetch, Department of Student Government & Advocacy Interim Director Brandon Bowden, Senate President Ahmad Daraldik  and Senate President Pro Tempore Alexander Harmon.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

It can be viewed online.