AUSTIN (KXAN) — A district judge issued a temporary injunction Tuesday barring the University of Texas System from enforcing a state law that prohibits speech on campus during certain times.
This comes after students at the University of Texas at Austin and Dallas filed a lawsuit in September shortly after the law went into effect, saying it violated students’ constitutional rights.
The lawsuit was filed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
Campus Protection Act, or Senate Bill 2972came into effect in September. The law relates to “expressive activities” between 10pm and 8am which include Any speech is protected by the First AmendmentIncluding rallies, protests and speeches. It also includes limits on end-of-classroom speakers and amplified sound.
Lawmakers behind the bill pointed to the disruptions caused by 2024 pro-Palestine demonstrations on campuses across the country, including the University of Texas at Austin campus.
“Today’s ruling is a victory not only for our plaintiffs, but also for all those who express themselves on college campuses across Texas,” said JT Morris, FIRE’s senior supervising attorney. In a press release Tuesday. “The First Amendment protects free speech on campus, every hour of the day, every week of the year.”
The plaintiffs noted in the injunction that the First Amendment protects freedom of expression on college campuses at all times.
The temporary injunction can be viewed in full below: