Republicans close University of Florida chapter over alleged antisemitism

March 14 (Reuters) - The Florida Federation of College Republicans disbanded its University of Florida chapter and asked the school to remove ​it as a student organization due to alleged misconduct ‌that includes antisemitism, the university said on Saturday.

The request was based on the federation’s own investigation that uncovered a “pattern of conduct that violated ​its rules and values, including a recent antisemitic gesture,” ​the university wrote in a post on X. ⁠The federation asked the school to “deactivate” its Republican chapter while ​the group tries to restart the chapter with new leadership, ​the university wrote.

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The school’s post said it is “committed to preventing and addressing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and harassment” that threaten and disrupt ​the school community, and that it will help the ​federation reactivate its local chapter when it is reformed.

The Florida Federation of ‌College ⁠Republicans did not immediately return a request for comment.

The announcement is the second report this month of antisemitic behavior by a conservative group at a Florida school.

Florida International University said on ​March 5 ​that law enforcement is ⁠investigating a Miami Herald report that prominent members of the local Republican Party and conservative ​student leaders exchanged racist, antisemitic and homophobic messages ​in ⁠an online group chat.

The Herald reported that logs of the leaked WhatsApp group chat showed participants, including prominent local Republican Party ⁠officials ​and student leaders of FIU’s Turning ​Point USA chapter, a conservative youth group founded by slain activist Charlie Kirk.

Reporting ​by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Sergio Non, Rod Nickel

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