Three Emory Professors Sue University Over 2024 Campus Protest Arrests
Three Emory University professors filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful arrests during 2024 pro-Palestine campus protests, with all criminal charges later dropped.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA — Three Emory University professors filed a lawsuit Thursday against the institution, alleging wrongful arrests and prosecution during pro-Palestine protests that occurred on campus in April 2024.
The civil complaint, filed in DeKalb County Superior Court, names professors Noelle McAfee, Emil’ Keme and Caroline Fohlin as plaintiffs. The three faculty members were among 31 individuals arrested by Emory University Police Department officers during demonstrations on the university’s quadrangle two years ago.
Charges Dropped After More Than Year
Police initially charged McAfee and Keme with disorderly conduct, while Fohlin faced a battery charge against a law enforcement officer. All criminal charges against the three professors were dropped by September 2025, more than a year after their arrests.
The professors’ legal action comes two years to the day after the campus protests that drew national attention as part of widespread demonstrations following the Israel-Hamas war that began after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
University Policy Violations Alleged
The lawsuit alleges Emory violated its own free expression policies when administrators called Atlanta Police Department and Georgia State Patrol officers onto campus to shut down what the professors describe as a peaceful demonstration. The complaint also accuses the university of prolonging the prosecution of what they characterize as “false” charges.
The April 2024 protests at Emory were part of hundreds of demonstrations across the United States where students established encampments in solidarity with Gaza. The movement gained particular prominence at Columbia University and spread to campuses nationwide.
Emory’s quadrangle, a green space at the center of campus, served as the epicenter of the April 2024 protests that ultimately led to the arrests and subsequent legal action.
Legal Claims Against Institution
The professors’ complaint against Emory includes allegations of wrongful arrests and prosecution, negligence, and breach of the university’s free expression policies. The lawsuit represents one of the most significant legal challenges to emerge from the campus protest movement that swept American universities in 2024.
The timing of the lawsuit filing coincides with the second anniversary of the campus demonstrations that brought heightened tensions to Emory and universities across the country during a period of intense debate over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
