A federal judge has dismissed Lauren Stokes’ lawsuit against the University of Mississippi and Chancellor Glenn Boyce over his decision to fire her from her administrative role for sharing a post that called slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk a racist.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi Judge Glen H. Davidson, an appointee of former Republican President Ronald Reagan, wrote in his decision that Boyce had a “substantial interest in maintaining the efficient operation of the Plaintiff’s department and the University as a whole, and given the level of disruption the Plaintiff’s post caused the University, the Court finds the evidence weighs against the plaintiff.”
Stokes’ Attorney: ‘We Intend to Appeal’
Stokes’ attorney, Alysson Mills, told the Mississippi Free Press in a statement Tuesday evening that they plan to appeal the ruling. The mostly conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans hears cases that originate from lower courts in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
“This is not the law as we understand it,” Mills said. “This is the heckler’s veto. We intend to appeal to defend the rights of employees at the University of Mississippi.”
Mills argued in federal court in February that firing Stokes from her position as executive assistant to the vice chancellor violated her First Amendment rights. On the day a man assassinated Kirk on Sept. 10, 2025, Stokes reshared a post written by another Instagram user that described Kirk as a “reimagined Klansman” whose ideology had wreaked havoc on vulnerable communities.
Judge: Stokes Failed to Show Violation of Her Rights
After the post drew widespread backlash, with figures including Mississippi State Auditor Shad White calling for her resignation, Stokes removed her post and apologized. But the next morning, on Sept. 11, Chancellor Glenn Boyce placed her on administrative leave. Months later, in November 2025, Boyce welcomed Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and Vice President J.D. Vance to the campus for a conservative rally.
“I didn’t realize how beloved Charlie Kirk was. Men older than me spat on me in public,” Stokes testified in court in February. “People are still saying vitriolic things to me. I’m still suffering and humiliated.”
Members of the University of Mississippi faculty also testified that Stokes’ firing left other employees of the university afraid to speak their minds.
In his ruling dated March 16, Davidson dismissed Stokes’ case with prejudice.
“Having failed to show a violation of her constitutional rights or that the unlawfulness of the Defendant’s conduct was ‘clearly established at the time’ of the alleged conduct, the Court finds the Defendant is entitled to qualified immunity and the Plaintiff’s First Amendment retaliation claim against the Defendant in his individual capacity must be dismissed,” the judge wrote.
This story has been updated to include comments from Lauren Stokes’ attorney, Alysson Mills.
Read more stories on Lauren Stokes’ case in our archive here.