Supreme Court will not prevent West Texas A&M University president from canceling drag show
An LGBT group previously sued the university president for canceling a drag show last year, and the lawsuit now sits for consideration from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The group failed to get an injunction from the Supreme Court to stop the president from canceling another drag show this March while the case is awaiting consideration.
On March 15, the Supreme Court stopped an effort by West Texas A&M University students to stop school President Walter Wendler’s cancellation of a drag show at the school.
The students had attempted to get an injunction from the Supreme Court against the university president to stop him from canceling the drag show, which was scheduled for March 22, continued The Texas Tribune.
The students, who are part of the LGBT organization Spectrum WT, had previously filed a lawsuit against university officials in March 2023 following Wendler’s stopping a drag show from taking place.
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The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which filed the lawsuit on behalf of Spectrum WT, alleged that Wendler’s cancellation of the March 2023 drag show constituted “textbook viewpoint discrimination.”
“Our Constitution prohibits public officials, including public university presidents, from silencing Americans because a public official dislikes certain points of view,” FIRE’s lawsuit claimed.
In a March 21, 2023 post on his blog, Wendler explained his opposition to the drag show, writing that “drag shows stereotype women in cartoon-like extremes for the amusement of others and discriminate against womanhood.”
“Drag shows are derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent. Such conduct runs counter to the purpose of WT. A person or group should not attempt to elevate itself or a cause by mocking another person or group. . . . I do not support any show, performance or artistic expression which denigrates others—in this case, women—for any reason,” he added.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton published a press release regarding the court’s decision, in which he stated: “President Wendler’s efforts to uphold decency and protect women from hostile and degrading caricatures, and to protect children from exposure to obscene conduct, are completely defensible. I’m pleased that a unanimous SCOTUS rejected the organization’s extraordinary attempt to force the University to host this activity.”
The lawsuit is currently sitting for consideration with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear oral arguments about the case later in April, wrote The Texas Tribune.
Campus Reform has reached out to the West Texas A&M University Office of the President for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
