[CHE] A New Group Promises to Protect Campus Free Speech

Skimming through this. This is the first time I've heard of Amy Wax and without getting into the particulars of what she said under the First Amendment she has the right to say whatever she wants about Asians. U Penn though as a private institution also has a right to decide how their employees represent them. If U Penn decides it's in their interests to keep her on faculty that's on them but certainly others have the right to then decide they don't want to go to U Penn. U Penn and this group can certainly argue for academic freedom all they want but that doesn't mean people can't criticize U Penn certainly doesn't compel people to want to apply to U Penn or more importantly for donors to donate to U Penn.

Also is a group interested in defending free speech and academic freedom weighing in on policies like the one that was just signed in Virginia banning the teaching of certain subjects in public schools because it makes some parents uncomfortable? Is this group weighing in on the efforts to remove books from public libraries because they make some people uncomfortable and some groups feel shameful?

 

Hopefully this new group protects professors right to speech. And expand that protection to educators at public schools.


Florida Bars State Professors From Testifying in Voting Rights Case - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Three University of Florida professors have been barred from assisting plaintiffs in a lawsuit to overturn the state’s new law restricting voting rights, lawyers said in a federal court filing on Friday. The ban is an extraordinary limit on speech that raises questions of academic freedom and First Amendment rights.

University officials told the three that because the school was a state institution, participating in a lawsuit against the state “is adverse to U.F.’s interests” and could not be permitted. In their filing, the lawyers sought to question Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, on whether he was involved in the decision.

Mr. DeSantis has resisted questioning, arguing that all of his communications about the law are protected from disclosure because discussions about legislation are privileged. In their filing on Friday, lawyers for the plaintiffs said the federal questions in the case — including whether the law discriminates against minority groups — override any state protections.

The university’s refusal to allow the professors to testify was a marked turnabout for the University of Florida. Like schools nationwide, the university has routinely allowed academic experts to offer expert testimony in lawsuits, even when they oppose the interests of the political party in power.

 

I think this U Penn issue is much smaller than what is happening in public schools at every level where conservatives want to ban the teaching and exposure to history in the name of not making people "feel guilty"

If you can't fight the battle of free speech in public institutions, and instead focus on private institutions, seems to me that you've already lost.

 

Amy Wax got an axe to grind. A battle-axe one might say...

BTW, this new group is funny as it acts like a labor union for stuffy mostly out-of-touch tenured professors who are set for life.

If this is the hill Amy wants to die on, she probably lost her good ideas once those guaranteed checks started mailing in with minimal effort

 

Tenure doesn't mean you can't be fired for speech. If you speech is judged to be sexual harassment for instance, you can be fired, but you are entitled to a hearing.

But again, I think the problem isn't in the private sector but more so the public. Since speech is openly suppressed in public education, then you have no chance of fighting in private institutions.

Ironically, conservatives shot themselves in the foot here by using private universities as battle cry while completely suppressing speech in schools at every level.

 

I position we're seeing from the current GOP.
Private companies have to publish content under free speech and their rights as property owners are subservient to our right to get whatever message we want. Even IP owners cannot decide to not to publish their own IP even if there is no financial incentive to do so. (Dr. Sueuss).

Public schools and libraries cannot have or teach content that we deem shameful. Teachers cannot express opinions that are deemed offensive and counter to our interests. Free speech is subservient to not offending certain segments of society.

 

There are 3 groups, to generalize.
1- Pro speech, period. Protection against the gov and the private sector.
2- Government should not suppress speech.
3- Private sector should not suppress speech.

The Constitution is clear. #2. #3 in limited circumstances.

Everyone was generally with the Constitution (#2). The Dem were more anti-speech than Rep in general. Today Rep has taken a dangerous 180 turn with #2. They are pro gov suppression of speech while still are against private sector suppression of speech.

Today Rep position of pro gov suppression of speech is against the Constitution and is much more dangerous than previous position held by the old Rep and the current position of the Dem. It's the position closer to China suppression of speech.

Folks that claim to be all pro speech but only focus on #3 while ignore the more dangerous #2 aren't pro speech.

 

Judge Issues Stinging Free Speech Ruling Against University of Florida - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

WASHINGTON — A federal judge handed a crucial free-speech victory to six University of Florida professors Friday, ordering the university to stop enforcing a policy that had barred them from giving expert testimony in lawsuits against the state.

The stinging ruling, by Judge Mark E. Walker of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, accused the university of trying to silence the professors for fear that their testimony would anger state officials and legislators who control the school’s funding. Judge Walker likened that to the decision last month by Hong Kong University to remove a 25-foot sculpture marking the 1989 massacre of student protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square by the Chinese military, apparently for fear of riling the authoritarian Chinese government.

...

The order was a turning point in a dispute that has tarred the reputation of one of the nation’s leading public universities and sparked an investigation by the body that accredits it. It also has fueled criticism of Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who has denied pressuring the school to rein in faculty conduct that questions his administration’s policies.

And it has uncovered a trove of evidence that, despite university officials’ flat denial that they felt political pressure, faculty members did. In a report issued last fall, the Faculty Senate complained of “palpable reticence and even fear,” alleging that some school employees had been warned “not to criticize the Governor of Florida or UF policies related to Covid-19 in media interactions,” and that barriers had been raised to publishing data on the pandemic.

 

Yes I was thinking that the PRC attempts to "purify" the Internet
https://www.ft.com/content/285059f7-3f0e-4083-b01f-02e48eccff88
Sounds awfully similar to what many Conservatives are pushing in school boards and public libraries.

The Constitution only addresses directly government suppression of speech and it's been quite a sight to see Conservatives who supposedly look to the Constitution as their ultimate guide twist themselves into knots simultaneously arguing that Twitter banning Marjorie Taylor Greene is CENSORSHIP! while government run public schools and libraries taking Maus off their shelves is just fine.

 

Talking about education workers right to free speech, I thought this situation in Texas was really interesting

https://www.courthousenews.com/fifth-circuit-throws-out-challenge-to-texas-ban-on-boycotting-israel/

Haven't heard on the issue in a while, if you can find any updates on the subject with your eagle eye and mastery of linkage, whenever it comes up again, I'd appreciate it Os.

 

What is your opinion? Do you agree or disagree with the worst Dan Patrick?

 

What is your opinion? Do you agree or disagree with the worst Dan Patrick?