A group of University of Alabama students, backed by major left-wing legal behemoths, the ACLU of Alabama, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the university’s decision to suspend two student-run publications, arguing the move violates their First Amendment rights.

According to a press release from the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, the lawsuit targets the university’s December 2025 decision to permanently suspend and defund the campus magazines Nineteen Fifty-Six and Alice, which focused exclusively on racial and gender topics.

The university’s decision stems from a broader federal effort to bring institutions of higher education into compliance with longstanding civil rights law, specifically, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits recipients of federal funding from operating programs that discriminate on the basis of race.

After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which fundamentally reoriented how federal law treats race-conscious programs at institutions receiving federal funding, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memorandum that put universities on notice.

Faced with that legal reality, UA moved proactively to defund two publications whose explicit missions ran afoul of the DOJ’s interpretation of equal protection law.

The University of Alabama has previously said it remains committed to supporting students while complying with legal obligations and maintains that students’ First Amendment rights “remain fully intact.”

The student plaintiffs, who previously contributed to the publications, argue the suspension amounts to unlawful censorship and viewpoint discrimination. The lawsuit contends the university’s actions were based on the magazines’ editorial perspectives, particularly their focus on race and gender.

“I believe that freedom of expression on campus should neither be censored nor restricted because of its perceived value or audience,” student plaintiff Rihanna Pointer said, adding that the publications provided a platform for diverse voices and perspectives.

The university has said its decision was tied to guidance outlined in a non-binding memorandum from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi related to federal anti-discrimination law.

In the complaint, students argue that memorandum does not require universities to shut down student publications and cannot override constitutional protections for free speech.

“The University of Alabama’s decision to suspend these publications is discriminatory and unconstitutional,” said Avatara Smith-Carrington, assistant counsel at the Legal Defense Fund.

A full copy of the lawsuit complaint can be viewed here.

For several years prior to their suspension, Nineteen Fifty-Six and Alice served as platforms for student expression through writing, art, photography, and storytelling centered on campus life and identity.

The case is now pending in federal court.

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.  You may contact her at [email protected].