U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle has scheduled a Nov. 8 hearing on the state’s request to dismiss a potential class-action lawsuit alleging discrimination against historically Black Florida A&M University.
The lawsuit, filed last year on behalf of six students, alleges FAMU has faced such things as underfunding when compared to other state universities.
Hinkle in June dismissed the case but allowed the plaintiffs to come back with a revised version to try to address his concerns. The students’ attorneys filed a revised case on July 3.
But lawyers for the state university system’s Board of Governors and system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues argue the lawsuit should be dismissed because the plaintiffs did not meet key legal tests, such as showing alleged disparities are rooted in what is known as “de jure” segregation — segregation sanctioned by law.
