TAMPA, Fla. — University of South Florida police said university police are looking to identify the people who disrupted a prayer service on campus after a video of the incident was posted to social media.
USF said when the individuals are identified, they "anticipate referring the perpetrators to the State Attorney’s Office for criminal charges, and we will issue trespass orders to prevent them from returning to campus."
A video of the incident was posted to social media. The USF Muslim Student Service shared the video of the incident with Tampa Bay 28:
USF posted a statement about the situation to X.
A university statement regarding a recent incident on our Tampa campus. pic.twitter.com/zSSQBtt7jg
— University of South Florida (@USouthFlorida) November 19, 2025
Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera also posted a statement to Facebook.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for hate crime investigations following the USF incident and another separate incident in Hollywood.
"The first incident occurred yesterday at the University of South Florida (USF). Members of the Muslim Students Association (MSA) reported being subjected to verbal harassment and Islamophobic hostility while engaging in an outdoor prayer at the Collins Boulevard Parking Facility," said the statement from CAIR.
Read the full statement here.
This is a developing story. Tampa Bay 28 will provide more details as they become available.
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