A University of Michigan student filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday, alleging the institution violated his constitutional rights through an undercover surveillance campaign following his participation in pro-Palestinian campus protests.
The legal action was initiated in federal court by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Michigan (CAIR-MI) and student Josiah Walker.
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The complaint claims the university and private investigators conspired to intimidate, terrorize, and retaliate against Walker during 2024 and 2025.
According to the lawsuit, the operation involved falsified police reports, document manipulation, illegal stalking, assault, and malicious prosecutions.
The filing states the campaign inflicted severe psychological trauma on the student leader.
"He modified his entire way of life because of this," said Amy Doukoure, CAIR-MI attorney.
"He was always in a heightened state of anxiety, and always hyper-vigilant and alert in a way that no college student should be when just going to class or work."
Doukoure noted the lawsuit seeks to establish boundaries for university authorities regarding student expression.
"We want the university and city shield to know they can't undertake these measures simply because they don't like the speech being made," she said.
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Walker is a leader with Students Allied For Freedom and Equality (SAFE), an organization affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine, and volunteers with the campus Muslim chaplaincy.
Previous investigations revealed the university engaged undercover operatives to shadow pro-Palestinian students, record conversations, and issue threats on and off campus.
The lawsuit details specific incidents, including a September 2024 campus festival where police bodycam footage allegedly showed officers plotting to arrest Walker.
Video documentation shows officers tackled, beat, and arrested him, charging him with trespassing and resisting arrest.
"[This] demonstrates a deliberate conspiracy to violate his constitutional rights, punish him for protected speech, and assert state power over student dissent," the lawsuit states.
Additional allegations claim the university manufactured assault claims in 2025 to secure warrants for Walker's Google account after he recorded an operative following him at night.
The lawsuit notes that the dismissal of prior trespassing charges by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel exposed a lack of legal footing.
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The litigation seeks monetary damages and punitive measures against both the university administration and the involved private investigation firms.
