BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University is facing a lawsuit from the ACLU of Indiana.
It was filed Friday morning on behalf of three people who were arrested during the past week of protests on campus.
Those three are part of a group of 57 people who were also arrested. All of them received a trespass ban from campus for at least a year.
The lawsuit names IU professor Dr. Benjamin Robinson, IU graduate student Madeleine Meldrum, and Bloomington resident Jasper Wirtshafter as plaintiffs in the case.
The ACLU of Indiana says it could expand the lawsuit to include others who were also arrested and received trespass bans from campus.
"It feels pretty terrible to be honest," said graduate student Madeleine Meldrum, describing what it felt like to be banned from coming onto IU's campus, following her arrest last week, during protests in Dunn Meadow.
"I am planning to go back this afternoon," said Meldrum.
That's because Friday morning, Meldrum learned the trespass ban she was facing had been temporarily suspended after she appealed it.
That allows Meldrum to return to campus for the time being.
That doesn't mean, though, it's all a done deal.
Even though the ban from campus is on hold while Meldrum appeals it, she could still face that ban if the appeal process doesn't go her way.
Robinson is in the same position.
"This muzzle put on us and the arbitrary way in which it's been imposed does not give me confidence that the appeal will be properly heard and I will be able to return to my duties and express my free speech rights in any reasonable manner," said Robinson who, like Meldrum, is hoping the ACLU's lawsuit against IU can help.
The lawsuit takes issue with the bans from campus that Meldrum, Robinson and others are facing, saying those bans violate their free speech rights.
It can be found here:
"IU is telling these people, 'We don't care what you want to say. We don't care that we have a place reserved for you to say it. We're not going to let you go there,'" said Ken Falk with the ACLU of Indiana.
13News reached out to IU for comment on the lawsuit. A spokesperson said they don't comment on pending litigation.