Tampa, FL – On Tuesday April 25, the University of South Florida finalized the termination of admissions worker Chrisley Carpio. Carpio was one of several protesters brutalized by the USF police department, and one of the five charged by police with felonies, for protesting Governor Ron DeSantis’ attacks on education, diversity and inclusion programs and multicultural organizations at public universities. University administration continues to repress protesters, as seen through the suspension of one student, preventing them from being on campus, and Carpio’s firing.

As a staff member of the university, Carpio’s termination is in violation of her collective bargaining rights as a AFSCME union member as well as a direct violation of their First Amendment right to protest, a clear example of political repression against anyone who speaks out against Ron DeSantis’ racist agenda, an agenda that is currently pushing through anti-union bills that would decertify public unions across the state, including the AFSCME local covering USF workers. The university firing Carpio for protesting DeSantis’ attacks on education and defending multicultural programs and organizations on campus shows that USF doesn’t stand with workers or students but sits in the pockets of right-wingers and reactionaries against oppressed communities.

Video footage shows no evidence that justifies neither the assault on protesters, the attempts at expelling students, nor the firing of workers. The university must be held accountable for allowing these attacks on the protest, and for remaining silent as rampant attacks on diversity continue across the state.

Please sign this petition in support of the 5 protesters facing political repression.

https://peoplespetitions.org/tampa5

Drop the charges now! Bring Chrisley back to work!

Defend diversity in higher education!

Activism is not a crime!

#TampaFL #Tampa5