An appellate court struck down West Texas A&M University's ban on drag shows Monday, following a months-long back-and-forth showdown over speech and expression. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned a prior ruling from the district court, handing a victory to Texas LGBTQ student groups and halting the ban on drag shows.

Officials at a Texas university cannot block a student-led LGBTQ+ organization from hosting drag shows on campus, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the school’s prohibition on drag performances, finding students are likely to prove it violates the First Amendment.