UK professor suspended for anti-Israel comments asks judge to return him to classroom
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Judge heard arguments on injunction as professor seeks reinstatement for 2026.
- Woodcock remains suspended, paid and barred from law building pending probe.
- Judge deferred ruling; court will review briefs and set schedule for motions.
A professor at the University of Kentucky’s law school suspended for anti-Israeli comments made online this summer is asking a federal judge to intervene so he can teach classes this spring.
During a hearing Friday at the U.S. District courthouse in downtown Lexington, the court heard testimony from three witnesses, including Ramsi Woodcock, a tenured professor at UK’s J. David Rosenberg College of Law. Woodcock is being investigated by the university for circulating an online petition calling for the end of the Israeli nation and making comments in favor of Palestine regarding the Gaza war.
District Judge Danny Reeves did not issue a ruling after hearing testimony Friday. Woodcock requested an evidentiary hearing on the motion take place no later than a few days before the start of the semester, which begins Monday, Jan. 12.
UK’s investigation remains ongoing, and Woodcock has been suspended from teaching courses and barred from the law college building since July 18. In mid-November, Woodcock filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming his comments about Israel and the Gaza war are protected under the First Amendment.
Earlier this month, Woodcock’s lawyers pressed for a preliminary injunction, allowing him to return for classes for the 2026 spring semester, access the J. David Rosenberg College of Law building and requiring the university to suspend its internal investigation until the lawsuit resolves.
Woodcock was the first witness to testify Friday and occupied the stand for nearly three hours. He spoke about how he developed his beliefs and why he felt compelled to share them online and at in-person conferences.
“We demand that every country in the world make war on Israel immediately and until such time as Israel has submitted permanently and unconditionally to the government of Palestine everywhere from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea,” Woodcock’s petition reads.
The professor testified he started researching international law after becoming tenured in 2022 and started sharing his views in the spring of 2024 over listservs, posting them on online blogs or social media and speaking out at conferences. Woodcock said he believes Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people and supports decolonization.
More than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began Oct. 7, 2023, according to Al Jazeera.
In addition to the online comment, he shared his support for ending Israel at two conferences, one in Virginia and another in Hong Kong. The conferences weren’t related to the Gaza war, but he felt a responsibility to share his views because of his duty to international law, he testified.
When the university suspended Woodcock in July, President Eli Capiluto said the comments “can be interpreted as antisemitic in accordance with state and federal guidance.”
Antisemitism was not addressed specifically during Friday’s hearing, but Woodcock did say he would never discriminate or treat any student differently.
The other witnesses were Sarah Mudd, executive director of UK’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX coordinator, and James Duff, interim dean of UK’s J. David Rosenberg College of Law. Mudd testified on how the school handles investigations related to employee conduct, and Duff on the decision to remove Woodcock from the classroom.
In the middle of Duff’s testimony, Reeves interrupted and questioned the interim dean could provide any reason why Woodcock should be reinstated in the classroom. Woodcock’s lawyer did not ask Duff any questions about the harm being done as a result of the suspension after a 15-minute recess, and he was released from the witness stand.
Woodcock’s lawyer argued he has suffered irreparable harm from the violation of constitutional rights and the restrictions of the investigation. He remains a faculty member of the law school, but is not on the schedule to teach this spring. UK’s attorney said Woodcock has gotten paid and received the full extent of his benefits while suspended.
UK’s attorney also said it’s common practice to remove a professor from the classroom while an investigation takes place, which Duff also confirmed in his testimony.
The university has also filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit and for the court to abstain the lawsuit while UK’s investigation continues. Arguments on those motions were not heard during Friday’s hearing, and Reeves will rule on the motions after briefs are filed.
