Fifth Circuit Allows Mississippi DEI Restrictions

The Fifth Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction blocking Mississippi’s law restricting some DEI practices in public schools and universities, allowing the law to be enforced while the case is reconsidered. The appeals court ordered the case reassigned from U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate, faulting his legal analysis and rulings that included nonexistent parties, unsupported evidence, misquotations of the law and a nonexistent case citation—errors linked in the articles to AI-assisted drafting. The court said Wingate failed to adequately apply controlling First Amendment precedent. Plaintiffs argued the law was vague and could chill discussions of race, sex and civil rights; their attorney said the court’s interpretation allows teachers and students to continue teaching and learning about those subjects. Mississippi officials defended the state’s authority to regulate educational content.