Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
A federal judge refused to order Texas Tech University to retract a report it made to the state bar about a law student accused of celebrating conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.
This ruling is a legal obstacle in this active lawsuit about Texas Tech law student Ellen Fisher's case regarding her free speech rights.
She filed last month to stop Texas Tech from putting the reprimand in her law school record and alerting the Texas Board of Law Examiners, which could hurt her ability to become a lawyer.
But before the judge even ruled on her emergency request, Texas Tech did both of those things and also recommended against her admission to the State Bar of Texas.
The judge noted in his ruling that he can’t make Texas Tech take those actions back. He wrote that sovereign immunity, which can shield states and their officials from certain federal court orders, prevented him from being able to do so.
Fisher’s First Amendment lawsuit can continue as a claim for financial compensation against law school officials and can sue Honor Council members individually.
This is a developing story.
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A federal judge refused to order Texas Tech University to retract a report it made to the state bar about a law student accused of celebrating conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.
This ruling is a legal obstacle in this active lawsuit about Texas Tech law student Ellen Fisher's case regarding her free speech rights.
She filed last month to stop Texas Tech from putting the reprimand in her law school record and alerting the Texas Board of Law Examiners, which could hurt her ability to become a lawyer.
But before the judge even ruled on her emergency request, Texas Tech did both of those things and also recommended against her admission to the State Bar of Texas.
The judge noted in his ruling that he can’t make Texas Tech take those actions back. He wrote that sovereign immunity, which can shield states and their officials from certain federal court orders, prevented him from being able to do so.
Fisher’s First Amendment lawsuit can continue as a claim for financial compensation against law school officials and can sue Honor Council members individually.
This is a developing story.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
→ Subscribe for more videos: youtube.com/user/thetexastribune?sub_confirmation=1
→ Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/texastribune
→ Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/texastribune
