Campus protests again dominate the news! I agree with Chris Rufo on something (the Antisemitism Awareness Act)! & Sleigh Bells!

Bringing you the latest free speech news (5/5/24)

Stories of the week

• Don’t Expand DEI. Dismantle It. (The Free Press) by Chris Rufo and Jenin Younes

“We come from two sides of the political spectrum, write Christopher F. Rufo and Jenin Younes. But both of us agree that the Antisemitism Awareness Act is profoundly misguided.”

Note: Rufo and I have strongly disagreed with each other for years especially over Florida’s laughably unconstitutional Stop WOKE Act. He's even gone on TV shows and told viewers not to give to FIRE because of those disagreements. But here I could hardly agree with him more.

• US universities denied free speech for years — no wonder chaos reigns (Sunday Times, paywalled) by me

In the name of tranquillity, administrators have cultivated groupthink through ideological filters on hiring, promotion and even teaching. Universities need to take a long, hard look at the “anti-debate” certainty culture they’ve created, in which issues are dealt with by students locking arms, shouting others down and sometimes even resorting to violence rather than talking to one another.

This week in ERI

• The skeptics were wrong, Part 3: Surveys on student attitudes toward free speech show alarming trends by

  Sean Stevens
  and me

FIRE in the press!

• Those Who Preach Free Speech Need to Practice It (The Atlantic) by Will Creeley

This week on ‘So To Speak’

• FIRE’s Legal Director Will Creely and Vice President of Campus Advocacy Alex Morey join host and FIRE Executive Vice President

  Nico Perrino
  to answer questions about the recent campus unrest and its First Amendment Implications on
  So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
  .

This week in FIRE’s blog

• Campus encampment bans rarely violate the First Amendment. Here’s why by Jessie Appleby

• University provosts have bleak outlook on free expression in higher ed by Nathan Honeycutt

• With colleges punishing student protesters, campus due process is more important than ever by Ryan Ansloan

• FIRE expands Free Inquiry Grant, commits $250k to support research on free speech by Ryne Weiss

• Freedom or safety? College admins don’t need to choose by

  Talia Barnes

London Calling: Ronnie’s First Amendment Rundown

Permanent injunction against Indiana’s law that would bar giving minors information about legal abortion practices and abortion care providers in states other than Indiana, or referrals to and contacting out-of-state abortion providers on their behalf, holding there’s no compelling interest for the speech restriction. As Indiana has not criminalized traveling to another state to obtain abortions, including one with less onerous parental-consent requirements, an unemancipated pregnant minor traveling there is not a criminal offense or unlawful act, so providing information and/or making contacts toward that end cannot induce criminal activity.

Song of the month

OK, fine, the video isn’t much, but the song is freaking great.