# Federal judge blocks bid to reinstate suspended Alabama student magazines  
**Published:** 2026-05-31T17:05:25.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/31/repub/federal-judge-denies-injunction-that-would-reinstate-suspended-ua-publications/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/federal-judge-blocks-bid-to-reinstate-suspended-alabama-student-magazines

A federal judge has refused to stop the University of Alabama from keeping two student magazines suspended, dealing a significant blow to free speech advocates and student press advocates nationwide. In a decision issued May 29, U.S. District Judge Edmund LaCour Jr. denied a request that would have temporarily reinstated Alice, a magazine for women students, and Nineteen Fifty-Six, which covers Black student life and culture, according to [reporting by the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/31/repub/federal-judge-denies-injunction-that-would-reinstate-suspended-ua-publications/), which cited original coverage by the Alabama Reflector.

The university [suspended the publications in December 2025](https://alabamareflector.com/2025/12/02/university-of-alabama-suspends-student-magazines-citing-federal-memo/), citing a non-binding memorandum from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that provides guidance on federal anti-DEI, or diversity, equity and inclusion, compliance. University officials claimed the identity-focused magazines violated federal guidelines on discrimination.

LaCour, a Trump-appointed former Alabama solicitor general, ruled that the university's decision was a content-based restriction rather than viewpoint discrimination. "UA retains authority to regulate content and speaker access in a limited public forum, provided its regulations are reasonable and not a pretext for viewpoint discrimination," he wrote. "Here, the University has, at most, made selections based on content, not viewpoint."

The judge compared the magazines to hypothetical publications about sports or history, arguing the university could exclude such magazines based on topic without engaging in viewpoint discrimination. "There is no viewpoint inseparable from the editorial activity within the magazines at issue here," LaCour wrote, "just students interested in publishing content by and for women or Black students, whatever their viewpoint."

The decision drew sharp criticism from free speech advocates. Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel for the Student Press Law Center, said the ruling "flies in the face of nearly six decades of student press law." Avatara Smith-Carrington, assistant counsel at the Legal Defense Fund representing the students, said the ruling was disappointing but did not reflect the true nature of the case. "These are students in their most pivotal years that sought to actually create a space where students were able to engage with two publications that were really dedicated to inclusivity and diversity," Smith-Carrington said.

The magazine suspensions are part of a [broader national effort to eliminate DEI initiatives on college campuses](https://www.chronicle.com/article/tracking-higher-eds-dismantling-of-dei), with institutions across the country dismantling programs and canceling positions in response to Trump administration pressure and threats to federal funding.

Eight student plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in March, arguing the suspensions violated their First Amendment rights. Attorneys for the University of Alabama Board of Trustees filed a motion to dismiss the case, which remains pending. Smith-Carrington said the legal team is assessing all available options, including a response to the motion to dismiss.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/31/repub/federal-judge-denies-injunction-that-would-reinstate-suspended-ua-publications/)
- [Alabama Reflector original coverage of magazine suspension](https://alabamareflector.com/2025/12/02/university-of-alabama-suspends-student-magazines-citing-federal-memo/)
- [Chronicle tracking of higher ed DEI dismantling nationwide](https://www.chronicle.com/article/tracking-higher-eds-dismantling-of-dei)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/31/repub/federal-judge-denies-injunction-that-would-reinstate-suspended-ua-publications/.