Elon Musk’s X Successfully Defends University Of Illinois Student From Discipline Over Post, Platform Says

Topline Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, announced in a post Wednesday that the University of Illinois rescinded disciplinary action against Juan David Campolargo, a student the platform legally defended after he was reportedly threatened with being kicked out of campus housing for a post he made about free food at a closed university gathering—marking another chapter in Musk’s pushback against universities and his self proclaimed role as a free speech absolutist.

The platform announced the development Wednesday. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Key Facts The post said the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign rescinded disciplinary action against Campolargo, though university Associate Chancellor Robin Kaler wasn’t able to confirm the development to Forbes, citing federal privacy law that restricts the university from commenting on disciplinary action that may or may not have occurred with an identified student.

Campolargo was accused of violating the university’s student code of conduct last year after he posted on X that there was an open gathering with free food on campus at what was allegedly a closed conference, the Financial Times reported. Campolargo, who was at risk of conduct probation and being removed from campus housing, was also accused of theft for allegedly taking food that was being discarded by catering staff at an event where he received permission to do so, X claimed.

X hired the Schaerr Jaffe law firm to defend Campolargo at no cost and threatened to sue the university, the Wednesday post said, arguing that if the university upheld and punished the student for his post, he would have a “claim against the university for violation of his First Amendment rights,” according to the Financial Times.

Kaler said that though she couldn’t share details about Campolargo’s case, the university’s disciplinary procedures ensure due process for students and consider complete circumstances of potential misconduct whether or not the student is represented by a public or private entity. Campolargo didn’t immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.

Key Background Musk, the owner of X, has considered himself a “ free speech absolutist ” in the past. The tech billionaire in his self proclaimed commitment to free speech has gone so far as to offer users a “ no limit ” full funding of their legal bills if they’re unfairly treated by employers for liking or posting something on X.

Musk has also taken issue with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at universities, saying that DEI “must die” and claiming the point of such initiatives was to “end discrimination, not replace it with different discrimination.” Musk’s stance on DEI has received significant pushback, including from fellow billionaire Mark Cuban, leading to a well publicized spat between the two on the platform over the past week, with Musk calling Cuban a “racist” and suggesting a cage fight between the two.

The X owner has also been criticized for saying the words “cis” and “cisgender” are considered slurs on the platform, in addition to claims of promoting antisemitism on X and in his own posts that he has rebuked . Contra Musk has strayed from his public commitment to free speech. Not long after he purchased Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, the platform suspended the accounts of several tech journalists who often reported on the company, including reporters from outlets such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Intercept.

An account belonging to rival social media platform Mastodon was also suspended, with Musk saying it was purged because the page tweeted a link to a popular account that tracks the location of his jet—though that information is publicly available. Musk then asked Twitter users in two polls when he should unsuspend the accounts, with a majority of users voting for the “now” option in both.

Forbes Valuation We estimate Musk’s net worth at $240.9 billion , making him the wealthiest person in the world . Further Reading Musk Joins University Donors And Lawmakers Targeting DEI Amid Antisemitism Concerns (Forbes) Backlash Is Growing Over Elon Musk's Support Of Antisemitic Tweet—It's Not The First Time He's Faced Controversy Over His Posts (Forbes) X Sues Media Matters After Its Report On Antisemitic Content Prompted Major Companies To Pull Ads (Forbes).