FIU President Faces Backlash Over 'Leniency' in Bigoted Chats Tied to Florida GOP Students: 'Directly Enabling Racism'

Florida International University President Jeanette Núñez is facing mounting backlash from students and a federal lawsuit over what critics describe as a slow and insufficient response to bigoted group chats tied to College Republicans, with protesters accusing the administration of "directly enabling racism."

Five weeks after the messages became public, none of the students involved have been suspended or expelled, according to reporting by the The Miami Herald. The university has filed conduct charges and said disciplinary action is under review, but hearings have yet to be scheduled.

"We are in a situation where FIU is directly enabling racism... and there's no accountability," student activist Carlton Daley said during a campus protest, as The Miami Herald reports.

The controversy stems from a group chat created last fall by a local Republican Party official for conservative students, which included participants linked to College Republicans and Turning Point USA. Messages reviewed by the Herald at the time showed repeated racial and antisemitic slurs, references to white supremacist ideology and calls for violence.

Variations of the n-word appeared hundreds of times, alongside comments referencing Adolf Hitler and extremist rhetoric.

Nuñez has stated that the school "will not accept, tolerate, or condone any form of racism and antisemitism," but has also cited privacy laws and due process in limiting public details. FIU has defended its disciplinary approach as consistent with First Amendment protections, a position now being tested in federal court by students challenging the charges.

The chat was reported publicly in early March and is now part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Around the same time, another Florida university moved to disband a College Republicans chapter over antisemitic conduct, underscoring a broader pattern of controversy involving Republican-affiliated student groups in the state.

Critics on campus argue the response has reinforced a climate of fear and limited discussion around race. Faculty and student leaders have described a "chilling effect," with concerns that broader state policies have narrowed space for open dialogue. "There are real conversations that need to be had," said student activist Michaela Bell. "We need to know that we're safe on campus."

The FIU case is unfolding alongside renewed scrutiny of national College Republicans leadership. Kai Schwemmer, recently appointed as political director of the College Republicans of America, has faced criticism over past remarks on voting rights, race and conspiracy theories.

Although he has said those comments do not reflect his current views, the controversy has added to concerns about rhetoric associated with Republican student organizations.