June 22, 2026·25-20108·Per Curiam·By Aisha Johnson
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ordered an initial hearing en banc for this First Amendment case. The court also consolidated this matter with a related appeal for oral argument purposes.
Background
This appeal arises from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The case involves a challenge by the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council against members of the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System and university officials.
The court’s reasoning
The court issued a per curiam order stating that a member of the court requested a poll for an initial hearing en banc. A majority of the circuit judges in regular active service and not disqualified voted in favor of the request.
What it means going forward
The case will proceed to an en banc hearing with oral argument to be scheduled at a later date. An expedited briefing schedule has been established.
