The law, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislation, bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public universities.

A group of college students and professors filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against a state law barring public funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and restricting the teaching of so-called “divisive concepts” at public colleges and universities.

The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama, and the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), claims that SB129 violates the First Amendment by imposing viewpoint-based restrictions on speech and the allocation of university resources.

A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday challenges what the ACLU calls a discriminatory censorship law in Alabama. The lawsuit was filed by a group of Alabama students and educators from the University of Alabama and UAB.