A federal judge is allowing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging state discrimination against Florida A&M University to move forward. He’s given the plaintiffs 30 days to revise the case and provide more specific examples.
The lawsuit contends that Florida’s only historically Black public university has faced discrimination in funding and programs.
Attorneys for six FAMU students are seeking an injunction against state practices that they say violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and a federal anti-discrimination law known as Title VI.
Britney Denton is one of the plaintiffs and a first-year doctoral candidate in pharmacy at FAMU. Here she is after the hearing:
“We do deserve to be treated equally as those students that are literally across the tracks from us," she said. "It’s just -- it’s not fair that we aren’t able to get the same opportunities, we aren’t allowed to get the same amount of money, we aren’t allowed the same education in the same city as another school that has every opportunity in the world.”
The lawsuit raises issues about funding and programs that it contends are discriminatory, including duplication of programs with nearby Florida State University.
Hinkle said he was concerned about a lack of specific examples of duplication in the lawsuit.
