Alicia Bolton and Shane Miller | Staff Writers
Two students implicated in the leaked Miami-Dade County Republican Party, College Republicans at FIU, and Turning Point USA group chat were suspended from FIU for two years, concluding a weeks-long investigation.
FIU has been under increased pressure from members of the student and administrative bodies over its perceived lack of action on the leaked group chat.
Students held several protests on the GC Lawns, calling for FIU to act.
Until May 20, only one person was formally punished: an MDC student involved in the chats. FIUPD trespassed the student from campus, according to a statement released by President Nuñez after the group chat was first reported on.
Students continued to demand answers or a statement amid the weeks of silence. However, Nuñez and FIU have not commented on the disciplinary action or the investigations in the case since four students sued the university in April.
Then, without a statement to students, the Miami Herald published another article announcing the suspension of Abel Carvajal and Dariel Gonzalez. The students are suspended until May 11, 2028, and must reapply for admission if they wish to return to campus.
Gonzalez faces university charges of personal abuse – verbal or written abuse -, driving under the influence and endangerment for such behaviors, the possession of illicit substances (marijuana), and other violations of federal and/or state laws and local laws.
On the other hand, Carvajal, the former Secretary of the Miami-Dade Republican Party, is being charged with the facilitation of FIU Code of Conduct violations.
As an additional part of their punishment, these students must now pick up podcasting, create a “Life Goals Action Plan,” and write reflection papers.
For Gonzalez, FIU requires that he complete a THC 101 education course by June 15 and answer further questions on alcohol, as he admitted to both smoking weed and driving under the influence on campus in the Fall 2025 semester.
The group chat, initially named ‘Uber R***** Yapping Inc., ‘ was alleged to include inflammatory material calling for violence against African Americans, Jews, and women.
The usage of the N-word was a common occurrence within the chat, as reported by the Miami Herald, with it being used over 400 times. The WhatsApp group chat was alleged to have included leadership from Conservative and Republican party members from all over the state of Florida.
Many have denounced such members, including Kevin J. Cooper, the chairman of the Miami-Dade Republican Party, saying in a statement, “Racism, antisemitism, and hatred of any kind have no place in our party, our community, or our country, and the language that has been revealed falls far below the standard expected of anyone in a leadership role.”
In his statement, he also promised accountability, starting with Abel Carvajal’s resignation. Aside from Caravajal, FIU’s TPUSA chapter president, Ian Valdes, also resigned amid the backlash.
Students involved from the University of Florida faced similar disciplinary action, resulting in the deactivation of the UF College Republicans. This comes after a photo surfaced of two students in cosplay performing a Nazi salute. Individual-specific disciplinary action for the students involved has not yet been revealed, and there has been no public statement from UF regarding the status of their investigation or actions taken.
Unlike UF, FIU has not suspended its College Republicans chapter.
The Florida Federation of College Republicans permanently suspended leadership at the northern chapter, subsequently forcing the chapter to cease all operations until new leadership was installed. The local chapter filed a federal lawsuit against UF’s president, arguing the university violated their First Amendment rights by using the state federation’s decision as a “false pretext” to retaliate against the club’s “America First” political views. A federal judge denied their request. In that same vein, the two suspended students, Abel Carvajal and Dariel Gonzalez, filed a federal lawsuit alongside Ethan Ratchauskas and Dante Mojena against Nuñez. This suit claims the university’s disciplinary actions violated the students’ First Amendment rights.
Panther Now reached out to Gonzalez and his attorney, Anthony Sabatini. Both declined to comment.
Sabatini is a prominent Florida politician, attorney, and Lake County commissioner. He has previously represented several anti-mask mandate defendants across the state of Florida, challenging local emergency orders as seen in City of Gainesville v. Huguley in 2020. Despite his prominence, he received backlash for a resurfaced photo from 2005 wearing a blackface costume supposedly resembling his friend.
Meanwhile, news of the leaked group chat surfaced in March earlier this year, and the school erupted in outrage.
“It was awful.” Remarked Haneef Kahn, a Political Science and International Relations double major. He has been a member of the College Republicans since fall 2025 and witnessed the fallout within the CR group chat. “That group chat was unaffiliated with the actual CR chat; in fact, our president and e-board heavily monitored our chat for that kind of language.”
Khan emphasized none of the board was part of the leaked chat. He also detailed there was significant backlash since the leak towards the CR party, and there was disproportionate blame shifted towards members of the CR party who were innocent.
President Nuñez initially released a statement condemning the reports of the group chat, after receiving criticism for her lack of action on the topic. Since then, many students criticized the slow process by which FIU attempts to punish students who were involved in the chat. However, after weeks of what seemed to be radio silence, students finally had enough.
Protests against Nuñez reached a new peak in early May. At an All-Greek photoshoot for FIU, members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) participated in a coordinated demonstration by turning their backs and refusing to face the cameras. The demonstration intended to express frustration with what many students viewed as the university administration’s delayed response and lack of transparency regarding the group chat. Reportedly, FIU representatives and event organizers asked the participants to turn around to continue with the shoot. The students refused, and the shoot was ultimately cancelled. The demonstration quickly gained traction on social media, as seen on Hylo News, and became one of the most visible student-led responses to the controversy.
In an interview, Jaliya Prendergast, a member of the Panhellenic community on campus, witnessed the event and said: “I think it was so empowering to witness…it was incredibly refreshing to see members from other councils actually stand up for themselves and (for) those impacted by the President’s lack of action.”
Many students have mixed feelings about their suspension. Some students believe both of them got ‘let off easy’, while others believe that the damage was dealt with.
German Mata, a Political Science major, weighs in on the conversation. “I’m glad that the two students whose hateful beliefs and how they made them known are not to step foot on campus for some time,” he states. “ On that same note, students who commit crimes have been suspended from our campus in the past because of the fear that the suspended student can hurt another student; this brings the question of: does the violent, racist hatred that these students showcased have an expiration date?”
Mata raises another point: “Will Black and female students be truly safe? I don’t think a two-year suspension is long enough to guarantee a safe learning environment for these students…”
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