On Wednesday, August 27, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, plans to hold a press conference in Columbia, Missouri, to announce the filing of a lawsuit challenging University Chancellor and Missouri School System President Dr. Choi’s decision to prohibit Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine from participating in the university’s 2024 homecoming parade. The lawsuit alleges that President Choi’s anti-Palestinian exclusionary decision violates the First Amendment.
WHERE: Elm Street and South 9th Street, Columbia, MO 65201
WHEN: August 27, 1 PM CT
CONTACT: Ahmad Kaki, CAIR Staff Attorney, (202) 640-4935, akaki@cair.com; CAIR National Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas 720-251-0425, gabbas@cair.com
LIVESTREAM: https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, Unconstitutional Crackdowns, which reveals that Islamophobia remains at record-high levels nationwide. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
BACKGROUNDER:
Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine, a registered student organization at the University of Missouri, applied to participate in the annual homecoming parade hosted by the University. Just three days before the parade, President Choi sent an email to Mizzou SJP notifying them that he personally denied their application, citing the behavior of students at other universities. President Choi’s decision continues a disturbing trend of silencing pro-Palestine, anti-genocide voices by universities across the country.
SEE: MU denies Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine a spot in Homecoming parade
END
CONTACT: Ahmad Kaki, CAIR Staff Attorney, (202) 640-4935, akaki@cair.com; CAIR National Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas 720-251-0425, gabbas@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com