A University in Delaware Censored a Student Art Piece for Its “Violent” Depiction of Trump
The student artwork, a parody of Caravaggio's "Judith Beheading Holofernes," involved swapping the figures for the Statue of Liberty and President Trump. The university's decision to censor the artwork appears to go against policies the school lays out in their student handbook.
FIRE Announces This Year’s List of Ten Worst Colleges for Free Speech
Every year since 2011, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has issued a list of 10 individual colleges and universities that, via policies or actions, have threatened the free speech rights of their students and faculty.
Ohio Senate Passes Campus Speech Bill Limiting Imposition of Security Fees
The Ohio State Senate passed a new bill on campus speech on January 28th that will prohibit free speech zones, and ban the imposition of security fees based on the controversial nature of the speaker’s expression.
Punished for Shouting a Racial Epithet, Students Take UConn to Court
Neither Mucaj nor Karal directed the epithet toward anybody in particular, but uttered it out loud as part of a juvenile game that tested the other’s willingness to shout obscenities. Now, they say the university is using a vague policy to punish them for speech that, while offensive, is constitutionally protected.
Babson College Fires Professor For Joke He Made on Private Facebook Account
Asheen Phansey was fired on Thursday for a satirical Facebook post he made about President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb 52 sites “important to Iran & Iranian culture.”
Iowa State University Faces Lawsuit After Banning Chalk Messages
“Through the use of three policies –a ban on chalking, a prohibition on student emails related to campaigns and elections, and a Campus Climate Reporting System–Iowa State University has created an elaborate investigative and enforcement regime designed to chill speech concerning political and social issues of public concern,” Speech First said in a statement on its site.
Columbia University Student Files Complaint with Department of Education, Alleging Anti-Semitism
Invoking President Donald Trump’s recent executive order targeting anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses, the complaint accuses the Columbia administration of failing to address discrimination against Jewish students on its campus.
FIRE Releases Annual Report On The State Of Free Speech On College Campuses
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) released its annual report on the state of free speech on college and university campuses. In this year’s analysis, the majority of the schools (64%), scored a yellow light rating, and just 11% earned a green light designation. However, it’s important to note that in the past decade, that number has increased from just eight institutions in 2009 to 52 in 2019.