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Eastern Virginia Medical School on Tuesday settled a lawsuit with a medical student who argued that his First Amendment rights were violated when the institution denied recognition to a club he was trying to establish because it supported universal health care, according to a Foundation for Individual Rights in Education press release.
In December 2020, Edward Si sought to form an EVMS chapter of Students for a National Health Program, the student arm of Physicians for a National Health Program, which advocates for universal health care. When Si applied to get the chapter recognized as an official club, the EVMS student government association denied his application, arguing it did not approve clubs “based on opinions,” according to the press release.
Si reached out to FIRE for help. The organization sent EVMS two letters, one in February and one in March of last year, stating that rejecting the club because of its viewpoint violates the institution’s “obligations as a public school bound by the First Amendment and must be reversed.” In August 2021, Si and FIRE filed a First Amendment lawsuit against interim EVMS president Alfred Abuhamad and other officials. Students for a National Health Program was recognized as an official club the next day.
On Tuesday, EVMS agreed to pay Si and Students for a National Health Program $38,000.
“Now that we’ve reached a settlement, I hope that future students, faculty and university administrators will learn the importance of the First Amendment and freedom of expression in discussing and sharing bold, new ideas and being able to constructively critique society to be better,” Si said.
EVMS did not respond to Inside Higher Ed’s request for a comment.
