The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has reversed a district court ruling that had paused a Kentucky law professor’s lawsuit against the University of Kentucky.
The appeals court overturned the January decision by Judge Danny C. Reeves of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, which had stayed the case during a university investigation.
At the centre of the dispute is Ramsi Woodcock, a tenured law professor at the J. David Rosenberg College of Law, who was removed from teaching in July 2025.
The university removed Woodcock after discovering he had published content on his website, antizionist.net, calling for a global war to end Israel’s existence as a country.
Woodcock filed a federal lawsuit on November 13, arguing that university administrators punished him for political speech made outside the classroom.
The lawsuit specifically cited a 2024 “Petition for Military Action Against Israel” that Woodcock posted online as the basis for the university’s disciplinary action against him.
Among his requests, Woodcock asked the court to restore his normal teaching duties and bar the university from relying on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in any disciplinary proceedings.
The Sixth Circuit concluded that the university’s investigation of Woodcock did not meet the legal burden required for abstention, remanding the case back to the lower court for further consideration.
The appellate court noted in its ruling: “The disciplinary proceedings against Woodcock remain in a preliminary, investigatory stage. There is no ongoing formal proceeding against Woodcock, nor has the University filed a formal complaint against him.”
UK President Eli Capilouto had previously issued a public statement that did not name Woodcock directly but acknowledged awareness of the petition, describing his views as “if accurately attributed… repugnant.”
University spokesperson Jay Blanton responded to the appeals court decision, stating the university is “disappointed in the Sixth Circuit’s ruling” and that they are “considering next steps.”
The case is not Woodcock’s only active legal challenge, as he also has a similar case pending in state court alongside another case challenging the appointment of College of Law Dean Judge Gregory VanTatenhove.
The Sixth Circuit’s decision means Woodcock’s federal First Amendment claims will now proceed before the lower court, keeping pressure on the university to justify its handling of the matter.