A federal judge in the Northern District of Florida is allowing a class action lawsuit alleging funding discrimination against the nation’s historically black colleges to proceed by ordering the filing of an amended complaint concerning  Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).

“The first amended complaint alleges differences between FAMU and other public universities, including in funding, quality of faculty, graduation rates, and mission statements, but the first amended complaint is short on facts tying these differences to the segregated-by-law system,” wrote Judge Robert L. Hinkle in his June 12 decision.

Student plaintiffs from FAMU, the state’s only historically public black university, accuse Florida’s State University System’s board of governors and system chancellor Marshall M. Criser III of financially starving the Historically Black College & University (HBCU) while favoring traditionally white schools.