FIU Suspends Former College GOP Leaders Behind Racist Group Chat Filled With Slurs and Violent Messages

Florida International University has suspended two former campus Republican leaders for two years and barred them from campus following an investigation into a racist WhatsApp group chat that sparked protests, a federal lawsuit and scrutiny of the university's handling of hate speech allegations.

Abel Carvajal, a third-year law student and former secretary of the Miami-Dade Republican Party, was found responsible for facilitating violations of the school's Student Code of Conduct after creating the group chat last fall, according to court records while Dariel Gonzalez, then the FIU College Republicans' recruitment chairman, was also found responsible for conduct violations tied to abusive language as well as references to driving under the influence and smoking marijuana on campus.

The suspensions, reported by The Miami Herald, prohibit both students from entering campus or attending university-sponsored events until May 2028. If they seek to return, they must reapply for admission.

The WhatsApp chat became public in March after reporting by the Miami Herald revealed messages containing racist and antisemitic slurs, references to Adolf Hitler and white supremacist rhetoric, and discussions of violent acts against Black people. One participant allegedly described the renamed group chat as "Nazi heaven."

Carvajal told the Herald he is appealing the decision. Gonzalez's attorney, Anthony Sabatini, said the university's actions violated the students' First Amendment rights. Sabatini, who is representing the students in federal court, said, "I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that we're going to win when the case is ripe."

Last week, Chief District Judge Cecilia Altonaga dismissed the students' lawsuit against FIU President Jeanette Nuñez, ruling that the case could not proceed while the university appeals process remains ongoing. The students are appealing to the Eleventh Circuit and plan to refile their complaint after the disciplinary process concludes.

The controversy intensified in April as students and faculty accused FIU of responding too slowly to the incident. Protesters argued the university had failed to hold participants accountable despite publicly stating it would "not accept, tolerate, or condone any form of racism and antisemitism."

Student activists also accused the administration of applying a double standard after other students faced disciplinary action for protesting the university's partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Faculty and students described a broader climate of fear around discussions of race on campus back in April. Sociology professor Zachary Levenson warned against treating the episode as isolated, while former professor Marvin Dunn said FIU had become "a dark place because of the extensive fear among the faculty and students about speaking out."