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FAMU students file lawsuit against Florida, claims state's education system shortchanged Black colleges

The suit was filed on behalf of 12 students at the university.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A class action lawsuit was filed against the state of Florida on Thursday by students at Florida A&M University.

The suit accuses the state's education system of shortchanging the Historically Black Colleges & Universities in funding, resources and other support for years compared to traditionally white schools in Florida, litigation firm Grant & Eisenhofer said in a news release. 

The amount of disparate funding alleged is reportedly more than $1.3 billion since the late 1980s.

The suit was filed on behalf of 12 students, made up of six undergraduates and six graduates, at the university. In total, FAMU has more than 9,000 students, which makes the university one of the country's largest HBCU's, according to the news release.

Students say the state university system keeps a racially segregated higher-ed structure, which places HBCU's at a disadvantage. 

FAMU students also want the state's commitment to supporting HCBU's and traditionally white schools within five years evenly, the news release says.

Grant & Eisenhofer and Florid civil rights attorney Joshua Dubin will reportedly be representing the students.

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