West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler
Despite a faculty vote of no confidence against West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler last year after he canceled a drag show fundraiser, last week he canceled a second show.
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the campus group commonly known as FIRE that planned the drag show, took the school to court and asked for an injunction that would have prevented Wendler from interfering in the group’s First Amendment rights.
Last week, Wendler told the Supreme Court that he was banning “any show, performance or artistic expression which denigrates others.”
The court denied FIRE’s application for an injunction that would have prevented the president from interfering in the group’s First Amendment rights. After denying to issue an injunction, Wendler canceled a student-organized charity drag show for the second time.
The Fifth Circuit will hear oral arguments in the case next month. FIRE will be there advocating for First Amendment freedoms of every public university student — no matter how they express themself.
FIRE senior attorney JT Morris issued this statement: While FIRE is disappointed by today’s denial of an emergency injunction, we’ll keep fighting for our clients’ First Amendment rights. The Fifth Circuit will hear oral arguments in the case next month. The show is not over.
— David Taffet
I went to school there in the 70’s and 80’s. It’s a great school, but the area is so refneck and still living in the 1950’s. It’s embarrassing.
Good! You go to college to get an education, not to watch drag shows. You want to watch those, do it off campus.