Students Sue University of Alabama Over Suspension of Magazines on Black and Women’s Issues

Students at the University of Alabama have filed a federal lawsuit accusing university officials of First Amendment violations for abruptly suspending and defunding two student‑run magazines, Nineteen Fifty-Six and Alice, in December 2025. According to the complaint, an administrator told editors the problem was that the publications had a 'perceived target audience' and cited Trump administration guidance on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which the plaintiffs say shows viewpoint‑based discrimination against outlets focused on Black students and women’s issues. The suit, brought by student writers and backed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU of Alabama, seeks reinstatement and funding of the magazines, which had operated for five and ten years respectively and covered topics from campus camaraderie amid DEI rollbacks to misogyny in music and reproductive‑rights politics. A university spokesperson declined to comment on the litigation but has said Alabama must both support all students and comply with its legal obligations, while campus protests have already erupted over the decision, making the case an early test of how far public universities can go in reshaping student media under the banner of complying with federal DEI directives.