FIU Suspends 2 Students Over Racist Texts

Two former College Republican leaders at Florida International University who were involved in a group chat dubbed “Nazi Heaven” won’t be allowed to step foot on campus for two years, The Miami Herald reported Wednesday. 

The suspensions come two months after the Herald exposed hundreds of racist, sexist and antisemitic messages—including some discussion of killing Black people—exchanged in a WhatsApp group chat that included mostly conservative-identified students. 

After the revelations, FIU officials said the university would “not tolerate violence, hate, discrimination, harassment, racism or antisemitism.” However, members of the chat received no immediate public consequences, which led some students to accuse FIU president Jeanette Nuñez of applying a “double standard,” because the university did charge other students with campus conduct violations for peacefully protesting FIU’s partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Last week, FIU issued a two-year suspension to Abel Carvajal, the creator of the group chat and a third-year law student, and Dariel Gonzalez, who was the FIU College Republicans’ recruitment chairman when the group chat was leaked.

The university found Carvajal responsible for an “affirmative act which aids, attempts, promotes, conceals, or facilitates” violations of the student conduct code. Meanwhile, Gonzalez was suspended for violating the conduct code by making “verbal or written abuse, threats, intimidation and/or coercion that objectively endangers the health, safety or well-being of others” and for driving under the influence of alcohol and smoking marijuana on campus.

The two students are now banned from campus and all university-sponsored events until May 2028, at which point they can reapply for admission. 

Even before the suspensions, Carvajal and Gonzalez sued FIU’s president, arguing that the university violated their right to free speech. However, The Miami Herald reported that Chief District Judge Cecilia Altonaga dismissed their free speech complaint last week because the punishment and appeals process was still pending. The students are now appealing the decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. 

The students’ lawyer, Anthony Sabatini—a Republican running for Congress—said the banned students will also refile their complaint in district court once the campus appeals process is complete. Sabatini is also representing the College Republicans at the University of Florida, who are suing the university for deactivating their organization after a member was seen on video giving a Nazi salute.