WT president sued for canceling charity drag show

CANYON, Texas (KFDA) - A West Texas A&M University group and students are suing the university’s president for canceling a charity drag show, according to court documents.

Spectrum WT, the group’s president Barrett Bright, and the group’s vice president Lauren Stovall are suing WT President Dr. Walter Wendler for violating college students’ first amendment right to hold a drag show on campus that was going to raise money for suicide prevention in the LGBTQ community.

Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is backing the defendants in this lawsuit.

“President Wendler isn’t just violating the First Amendment, he’s also violating Texas education law. Public colleges and universities must be beacons of free expression, not Orwellian conformity centers,” said FIRE Senior Attorney JT Morris.

Court documents state that WT Student Affairs Vice President Christopher Thomas, Texas A&M University Chancellor John Sharp, and the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents are also being sued.

“President Wendler has made it clear to us that he knows what his legal obligations are, but he chose to ignore them, and we are thankful to FIRE for taking up our case to protect our First Amendment rights. Hopefully, this lawsuit will not just help us the LGBTQ+ students here at WTAMU protect our rights, but also help protect students’ rights across the U.S.,” Bright said.

To read the full lawsuit, click here.