Appeals Court Allows Mississippi Ban On DEI, Removes Judge Over AI Use

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

Mississippi can enforce a law prohibiting some diversity practices in schools, a federal appeals court ruled on Oct. 22 in a decision that also removed the judge overseeing the case over the use of artificial intelligence.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruling overturned a 2025 decision from U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate that blocked the state from enforcing a law restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices.

The law, H.B. 1193, bars schools and colleges from promoting DEI through classes and administrators from punishing students for their views on DEI.

Wingate said the law violated the constitutional rights of teachers and students, siding with plaintiffs such as the Jackson Federation of Teachers.

The Fifth Circuit disagreed.

Circuit judges said the orders blocking the law fell short because they cited only two cases to conclude the law violates First Amendment rights and brushed off a framework outlined by the Supreme Court in a decision known as Moody for future First Amendment cases.

"The district court brushes off the Moody framework as a 'supposed' for