CANYON, TX - The Supreme Court has decided not to grant an emergency injunction sought by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) to prevent West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler from blocking a student-organized charity drag show.
The decision leaves the university's restriction in place, pending further litigation.
FIRE, an organization dedicated to defending free speech and expression rights in the United States, expressed disappointment in the Supreme Court's refusal to intervene at this stage of the Spectrum WT v. Wendler case.
JT Morris, a senior attorney at FIRE, emphasized the organization's commitment to continuing to fight for its clients' First Amendment rights.
"While FIRE is disappointed by today’s denial of an emergency injunction, we’ll keep fighting for our clients’ First Amendment rights," Morris stated. "The Fifth Circuit will hear oral arguments in the case next month. The show is not over."
The controversy began when President Wendler announced a ban on “any show, performance or artistic expression which denigrates others."
Wendler's actions have been criticized as a violation of the First Amendment, sparking a legal battle over the rights of students to express themselves on campus.
In his statement to the university community on March 18, Wendler cited the recent Supreme Court decision and the enactment of S.B.12, among other reasons, for denying the application for the drag show.
However, a federal court had previously declared S.B. 12 unconstitutional in September 2023.
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