UF has decided to postpone the removal of 19 newspaper racks until January 2013.
Around 1 p.m. today, the university informed Alligator attorney Tom Julin that the rack removal was postponed until Jan. 6.
Earlier this week, the university informed the Alligator that it would continue the rack removal planned for Aug. 15, forcing the Alligator either to move into university-owned racks or not distribute on UF’s central campus.
Julin filed an immediate injunction and a complaint against the university after finding out the deadline would not be postponed.
But because of the postponement, Julin said the judge does not need to rule on the injunction before Aug. 15. However, a permanent injunction and a lawsuit are still pending.
He said this is a good development that will give the paper and the university time to work on a mutual agreement.
“Before that date arrives, we would have reached a solution that is satisfactory to everyone,” Julin said.
The university believes the Alligator has no basis for the lawsuit.
“But, if the Alligator chooses to litigate, we will defend vigorously,” a university statement said. “We have informed the Alligator that Phases II and III will be consolidated so that our plan will be fully implemented on January 6, the original completion date. At that time, the Alligator will need to use the modular units established on campus just as other publications do.”
The university informed Julin on Thursday that they would waive the required fee to be in the modular units.
This decision was decided before the lawsuit, according to the statement.
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
