University of Alabama Censorship Tracker

Last updated March 30, 2025

The University of Alabama faces backlash after officials shut down the Black- and women-focused student-run magazines, claiming the outlets were “unlawful proxies” for discrimination because they primarily targeted specific audiences. The term was included in a non-binding memo issued by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 

The Student Press Law Center and other First Amendment advocates have condemned the magazines’ closure as unlawful viewpoint discrimination.

This page serves as a hub to collect the background and latest developments, and it will be updated as new information becomes available.

Latest

Eight students sue the university: Eight students filed a federal lawsuit on March 23, arguing that the magazines’ closures were viewpoint discrimination that violated the First Amendment. The students are represented by attorneys for the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. More: The Crimson White coverage

Alice editor shares update: In a Student Press Freedom Day webinar on Feb. 27, former Alice editor Gabrielle Gunter spoke about her experience, shared advice for other students facing censorship, and gave an update on where things stand at UA. MASTHEAD has raised funds to publish two editions this spring, but Gunter said that was only a temporary solution and the two magazines’ futures are still in doubt beyond this semester. More: Full video + SPLC Coverage

Nonprofit exceeds goal to support magazines this spring: Media Alumni Seeking to Highlight Equity and Diversity (MASTHEAD), a nonprofit organization of University of Alabama alumni, announced Dec. 10 that it had received donations of more than $25,000. The organization said it will be used “to publish print magazines created by the student journalists from Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six in spring 2026. This money will cover printing costs, fund student salaries for both publications as well as miscellaneous workspace and equipment needs.” The University of Alabama has promised to create a new, general student magazine, but it will not launch until Fall 2026. More: The Crimson White coverage

Alabama defends its actions: In a Dec. 10 letter to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, UA general counsel Robin Jones insisted that the university has not “censored, controlled, quashed, edited, or otherwise diluted the editorial independence of student journalists” at UA. Instead, Jones insists that closing Alice Magazine and Nineteen Fifty-Six and creating a new, general-interest student magazine “provide opportunities for more students to share more content, subject matters, and viewpoints…”

Alabama shuts down magazines: On Dec. 1, Alabama University administrators suspended student-led Alice Magazine, which focused on women, and Nineteen Fifty-Six, which focused on Black students. A university spokesperson cited a non-binding July 2025 memo from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, which they said required the university to “ensure all members of our community feel welcome to participate in programs that receive University funding from the Office of Student Media.” Officials told the staffs that the magazines violated guidance against “unlawful proxies” because of their target audiences. Editors stressed that anyone could read and work for the magazines. More: The Crimson White coverage + Alice Editor’s Statement

Attorney General issues a memo to universities: On July 29, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs with “non-binding suggestions” to “federal funding recipients.” The memo directed universities to “ensure that their programs and activities comply with federal law and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or other protected characteristics-no matter the program’s labels, objectives, or intentions.” The memo defines “unlawful proxies” as using “ostensibly neutral criteria that function as substitutes for explicit consideration of race, sex, or other protected characteristics.”

SPLC’s Take

Mike Hiestand, the Student Press Law Center’s senior legal counsel, said the suspensions appear to be unlawful viewpoint discrimination.

“At a public university, student media are forums for independent student expression and are protected by the First Amendment,” Hiestand said. “The Supreme Court has made clear that viewpoint discrimination is off-limits, and it’s difficult to imagine a more straightforward example than a university openly acknowledging it….

“These magazines do not exclude anyone; they amplify the voices of communities that have historically been marginalized. That is protected expression, not unlawful discrimination.”

Hiestand said he had not heard of other universities using the DOJ memo to target student publications, but if that happens, he encouraged students to contact SPLC’s Legal Hotline. He called it “an exceptionally tough year for student media,” citing incidents at Indiana University, Central Oklahoma University and elsewhere.

“Moments like this are precisely when educational institutions should be standing up for free speech and a free press,” he said. “Unfortunately, too many administrators are using the moment to silence student speech they don’t like.”

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