At the crux of what is now a federal lawsuit against Valdosta State, the document informing Barnes of his expulsion included a printout of an image posted to his Facebook profile. Inside Higher Ed described the photo's contents:

The collage featured a picture of a parking garage, a photo of Zaccari, a bulldozer, the words “No Blood for Oil” and the title “S.A.V.E.-Zaccari Memorial Parking Garage,” a reference to a campus environmental group and Barnes’s contention that the president sought to make the structures part of his legacy at the university.

As additional evidence of the threat posed by Barnes, the document referred to a link he posted to his Facebook profile whose accompanying graphic read: “Shoot it. Upload it. Get famous. Project Spotlight is searching for the next big thing. Are you it?” It doesn’t mention that Project Spotlight was an online digital video contest and that “shoot” in that context meant “record.”

Barnes's protest consisted of posting letters, sending emails, and writing letters in criticism of the garage building plan. The construction would tap student fees for $30 million.

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