Johnson v. University of Colorado, et al.
The Dhillon Law Group has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of University of Colorado Boulder student Zoe Johnson, alleging the university’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) violated her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by subjecting her to an Orwellian crackdown on speech deemed “unwelcome.”
According to the complaint, Johnson was subjected to a pattern of ideological enforcement disguised as a nondiscrimination policy, culminating in an investigation into her for engaging in everyday dialogue with classmates.
In one instance, Johnson was reported to administrators for saying, “I don’t care about your identity, I care more about what you have to say as a person,” during a casual conversation with another student. Despite the lack of any formal complaint by the alleged offended party, Johnson was summoned for a disciplinary meeting where she was berated for her so-called “white privilege” and pressured into ideological compliance.
Another incident occurred when Johnson asked why LGBTQ Pride was celebrated in both June and October. Her question was secretly reported to the choir director, who then initiated a disciplinary review.
On another occasion, she inquired about the purpose of a fellow student’s headwear, an innocent question that was also reported to faculty as offensive conduct.
Lead Attorney Matthew Sarelson, partner at the Dhillon Law Group, who represents Johnson in the case, described the university’s conduct as a textbook example of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.
“Public universities cannot weaponize vague and subjective ‘nondiscrimination’ policies to silence students with opinions that diverge from the prevailing campus orthodoxy,” Sarelson said. “Zoe Johnson was not targeted for harassment or discrimination—she was targeted because she asked reasonable questions in a learning environment that claims to encourage open discussion.”
Young America’s Foundation, a national organization advocating for student free speech rights, is supporting Johnson’s case.
“The University of Colorado Boulder is engaging in an insidious form of authoritarianism under the guise of inclusivity,” said YAF spokesman Spencer Brown. “Universities should be places where students sharpen their critical thinking skills, not where they are coerced into parroting approved viewpoints out of fear of punishment.”
Johnson has maintained a clean disciplinary record and actively participates in the university’s choral ensemble.
“I was just trying to have conversations, to understand people’s perspectives,” Johnson said. “But instead of encouraging dialogue, they made me feel like a criminal for simply asking questions.”
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, names University President Todd Saliman, Associate Vice Chancellor for OIEC and Title IX Coordinator Llen Pomeroy, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Patrick O’Rourke, and Associate Director of Choral Activities Elizabeth K. Swanson as defendants in both their official and individual capacities.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief to halt the university’s enforcement of policies that punish protected speech, as well as damages for the emotional and academic harm inflicted upon Johnson.
