An animal rights group is accusing Texas' largest university of hiding Facebook comments in a First Amendment lawsuit.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claims in the lawsuit filed Monday that Texas A&M University hid Facebook comments that contained words associated with the group's protests over animal research.

Free speech experts say the case has broader relevance amid ongoing battles over the First Amendment and social media. Among the biggest is a lawsuit against President Donald Trump over his blocking of critics on Twitter.

Texas A&M is among the nation's largest public universities. The school declined comment on the lawsuit but has previously defended the treatment of animals in its labs.

PETA claims it discovered about a dozen words Texas A&M blocked on Facebook, including "dogs" and "abuse."