Law prof who called for military action and end to Israel sues over teaching suspension

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Legislation prof who known as for navy motion and finish to Israel sues over educating suspension

By Debra Cassens Weiss

November 20, 2025, 2:57 pm CST

A College of Kentucky legislation professor who has known as for navy motion towards Israel has filed a lawsuit claiming the college violated his constitutional and civil rights when it suspended him from educating and launched an investigation to find out whether or not he created a hostile atmosphere.

Tenured legislation professor Ramsi Woodcock alleges the college violated his constitutional rights to freedom of expression and procedural due course of and discriminated towards him in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

Reuters, Inside Larger Ed, the Guardian and Fox Information are among the many publications with protection.

Based on the Nov. 13 lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Courtroom for the Japanese District of Kentucky, Woodcock has spoken out “towards Israeli colonialism, apartheid and genocide at educational conferences and on legislation school e-mail listservs,” together with by way of a petition for navy motion that he posted on-line. “In his view,” the lawsuit says, Israel “should be dropped at an finish.”

The lawsuit claims a definition of antisemitism adopted by the Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Alliance violates the First Modification when utilized by the college in disciplinary proceedings or when utilized in federal enforcement of an anti-discrimination legislation.

“To the extent that the IHRA definition prohibits calling for the dismantling of colonial state buildings, prohibits authorized students from debating the contours of the correct of self-determination, prohibits allegations of race discrimination, and prohibits allegations of genocide, the IHRA definition is unconstitutional,” the swimsuit says.

A joint decision handed by Kentucky lawmakers requires public universities to make use of the definition despite the fact that it “characterizes broad classes of constitutionally protected speech important of Israel as antisemitic,” the lawsuit states.

Woodcock has been sharing his views outdoors the classroom since 2024 with out consequence. That modified in the summertime of 2025, the lawsuit says, following passage of the joint decision and federal threats to withdraw funding from universities.

Lawsuit defendants embrace College of Kentucky president Eli Capilouto, legislation dean James Duff and U.S. Schooling Secretary Linda McMahon.

The lawsuit identifies Woodcock as “a founding father of the inframarginalist motion in legislation and economics, which applies the strategies of legislation and economics to the issue of wealth inequality.” He teaches programs principally within the areas of enterprise and business legislation.

He’s represented by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Kapitan Gomaa Legislation and Hawks Quindel, in keeping with a CAIR press launch.

College of Kentucky spokesperson Jay Blanton gave statements to a number of publications saying Woodcock had been “reassigned” however not suspended throughout the investigation.

“If somebody’s views as said threaten the protection and well-being of the college’s college students and workers, we’re obligated to behave to guard our neighborhood and our folks,” Blanton instructed the Guardian. “That’s clear below Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. We’ve an obligation to seek out out if that’s the case.”

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