New York, NY —

Some City College students and alumni are suing the school. They claim their First Amendment rights were violated when a sign naming a student center after a fugitive terrorist and a convicted cop killer was removed.

The sign named a student lounge after Willie Morales, a Puerto Rican separatist involved in a series of bombings in New York City in the 1970s and Joanne Chesimard, who escaped from prison while serving time for the 1973 killing of a New Jersey State Trooper. Both escaped U-S custody and are living in Cuba. CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein requested that the sign be removed, saying only CUNY's trustees can name college facilities.

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, seeks a temporary injunction banning City College from taking action against anyone who replaces the sign.