THE Daily
Thursday, April 9, 2026
MISSISSIPPIAN theDMonline.com
Volume 114, No. 23
Lauren Stokes talks job termination on the campus from which she was fired HANNAH IVEY
News Staff Writer
Former University of Mississippi employee Lauren Stokes spoke about her controversial job termination during a UM American Civil Liberties Union event on April 7 at the Robert C. Khayat Law Center. Her appearance followed the dismissal of her lawsuit against Chancellor Glenn Boyce by a federal judge on March 16. Stokes was fired from her position as executive assistant for the vice chancellor for development at the university on Sept. 11 after she reposted an Instagram post to her private account criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the day of his murder at Utah Valley University. The university issued a press release shortly after Stokes’ firing on Sept. 11. In her court testimony on Feb.
13, Stokes said the press release made her job termination “newsworthy” and left her feeling “utterly condemned.” “We condemn this action, and this staff member is no longer employed by the university,” Boyce said in the email. “All of us have a responsibility to take seriously our commitment to upholding a civil and respectful campus environment.” The Daily Mississippian requested comment from UM regarding Stokes’ discussion on campus but did not recieve a response by time of publication. Much of the conversation at the ACLU event concerned the First Amendment and freedom of speech, with Stokes arguing that her being fired from the university was in violation of this right. “You can hate what I said,” Stokes said. “I totally understand if you do. That’s the joy:
You can hate it. That’s fine. I can not like what you say, but we can say it. And if two sides can’t say something, then that’s not free speech and that’s also not democracy.” Stokes’ attorney, Alysson Mills, shared their plan to appeal the ruling that dismissed Stokes’ case to the federal Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and her hopes for the outcome. “We expect to have a lot of people speaking in support of us,” Mills said. “I’m hoping that we will have a lot of conservative voices. I do not think this is controversial at all. I think the First Amendment is where we ought to agree, and I think there will be a lot of strange bedfellows in court — and I’m looking forward to that. I want to win because Lauren (Stokes) does not deserve this, and no one who
JACK KIRKLAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Alysson Mills speaks with Lauren Stokes before her event in the Robert SEE STOKES PAGE 2 C. Khayat Law Center on April 7.
Oxford Board of Aldermen to revisit proposed public demonstration ordinance
Graduating seniors navigate unstable job market JAYLYNN CONNER A&C Editor
NATALY TELLO / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Mayor Robyn Tannehill speaks during the Oxford Board of Aldermen meeting at Oxford City Hall on April 7.
DYLAN THOMAS
Assistant News Editor
The first reading of an ordinance that would change the designated assembly area for large-group events or demonstrations from the Square to Bramlett Pavilion 0.9 miles away on University Avenue was postponed at the Tuesday, April 7 Oxford Board of Aldermen meeting. Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen, who presented the ordinance at the meeting, requested to postpone the first reading of the ordinance to the first board of aldermen meeting in May on May 5 at 5 p.m., due to concerns from the public. “We had planned to present the changes this evening for the first reading, but we’ve received some comments over the last few days. So what I’m asking for you guys (the
board of aldermen) is to allow us to push this to the first reading in May,” McCutchen said. “We can research these issues and then come back and prepare a document where everybody has an opportunity to express their concerns. We can research those concerns and then give you some proper feedback.” The first reading is a formal introduction of a city ordinance presented to city officials; the first reading informs the public of the proposed ordinance and serves as an initial step in city procedure. Following the first reading, the board of aldermen would hold a second reading, which would include public debate. A few hours before the board of aldermen meeting, the UM College Democrats released a joint statement on Instagram criticizing the ordinance. The statement was signed
SEE ORDINANCE PAGE 3
Graduating seniors at the University of Mississippi are entering one of the most uncertain job markets in recent years, with The New York Times calling it the worst spring for college graduates since the rise of COVID-19 in 2020. The New York Times article cites a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, stating that the unemployment rate for college graduates aged 22 to 27 increased from 4.8% in December 2024 to 5.7% in December 2025. In December 2025, Mississippi had an overall 3.1% unemployment rate compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.1%, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Data collected by the Ole Miss Career Center reflects these challenges locally, with 23% of May
2025 graduates — about 898 of approximately 3,938 students — still seeking employment by graduation last May. The data comes from a self-reported survey shared by the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness and Planning and is currently unreleased to the public. Gracie Roberts, a senior business analytics and information systems major from Clinton, Miss., has struggled finding a job despite being open to any location and job related to her field of study. “I think it’s overwhelming,” Roberts said. “I think that you scroll on TikTok or Instagram and every time you hear the word job, it’s usually a video talking about how awful the current job market is and how awful the economy is. That makes it so stressful.” Roberts started her job
SEE JOB MARKET PAGE 3
PARKER MCCOLLUM
ENERGY DRINKS
The country artist will perform on campus tonight.
Students opt for healthier caffeine alternatives.
SEE PAGE 5
SEE PAGE 7