Oral arguments are set to be heard Wednesday morning in the case of a University of Missouri student group that was excluded from marching in Mizzou Homecoming parades.
Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine filed a lawsuit against university President Mun Choi after it was banned from participating in the 2024 and 2025 homecoming parades, citing safety concerns. Arguments are expected to be heard at 9 a.m. in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.
The hearing will be live-streamed and can be accessed by dialing 571-353-2301 and using access code 678341765.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations represents Mizzou SJP and will argue that the university violated the group's First Amendment rights by removing it from the parade. In Wednesday's hearing, the university is expected to argue several appeals, including a federal judge's decision allowing the group to participate in the 2025 Homecoming parade, the district court's judgment that the group's First Amendment rights were violated, and a lower court's decision not to remove Choi from the lawsuit.
According to court documents, Mizzou SJP's application to join MU's Homecoming parade was approved by both the 2024 Parade Committee and the Mizzou Alumni Association. For their float, the group planned to show Palestinian culture through a traditional dance and by passing out Palestinian candy to the crowd. They also planned to have two banners that said "Ceasefire Now" and “Stop the Genocide.”
The MSJP was then asked to meet with University of Missouri officials to explain its plans for the float. Members of the meeting included Michelle Froese, the then-Interim Dean of Students, representing University Chancellor Dr. Mun Choi. Mizzou SJP claims the university did not schedule similar meetings with other student groups.
"A University of Missouri official told MSJP leadership that its application would be subjected to a unique review process. Unlike every other student organization, Chancellor Choi had the final say on whether MSJP would be allowed to participate in the Homecoming Parade," according to court documents.
Three days before the 2024 parade, Choi emailed the group, notifying them that he personally denied their application. In the email, Choi mentioned the behavior of students at other universities.
In Sept. 2025, a federal judge ruled that Mizzou SJP was allowed to participate in the 2025 Homecoming parade, as long as the group's entry "complies with the Parade Policy."
