Commentary: Academic Freedom in the Wake of SB 17

March 25, 2024 1 min read

Lauren Gutterman and Lisa L. Moore
Academe Blog

Excerpt: On February 22nd, 2024, Dr. Paige Schilt, a social worker, author, and former lecturer and staff member at the University of Texas at Austin, was scheduled to give a talk entitled “A Queer Path to Leadership: Finding a Mentor to Help You Succeed in Higher Education.” It was part of a lecture series at the university for first-year students sponsored by the undergraduate college. Schilt’s talk would have focused on navigating college and developing a support network.

But the undergraduate college pulled Schilt’s planned lecture at the last minute, replacing her with another speaker without public explanation. Upon questioning, administrators stated that UT Austin’s legal team had urged them not to permit the lecture because it risked violating Senate Bill (SB) 17, the anti-DEI law which went into effect in January.

Click here for link to full article

Leave a comment


Also in National Free Speech News & Commentary

Columbia Reportedly On Verge of Settlement With Trump

July 14, 2025 1 min read

Susan H. Greenberg
Inside Higher Ed

Excerpt: Columbia University is preparing to strike a deal with the Trump administration, taking steps to address alleged civil rights violations on campus in exchange for the release of $400 million of withheld federal funds, The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported. 

According to the Journal, the university is in discussions with the administration to pay out roughly $200 million, some of which would go to the government and some to students and professors who allegedly have had their rights violated.

Read More
Tech billionaire Trump adviser Marc Andreesen says universities will ‘pay the price’ for DEI

July 12, 2025 1 min read

Nitasha Tiku
Washington Post

Excerpt: Influential tech investor and Trump adviser Marc Andreessen recently said universities will “pay the price” for promoting diversity and allegedly discriminating against supporters of President Donald Trump, according to messages he sent to a group chat with White House officials and technology leaders reviewed by The Washington Post.

The billionaire’s messages also cited Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, a respected institution at the heart of Silicon Valley that has incubated tech companies such as Google. Andreessen and his wife have donated millions of dollars to the school.

Read More
An Anonymous Group’s List of Purported Critics of Israel Helped Steer a U.S. Crackdown on Student Activists

July 10, 2025 1 min read

Karin Fischer
Chronicle of Higher Education 

Excerpt: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security set up a special unit to scrutinize international student and scholar activists for possible violations of visa or immigration law, pulling analysts from investigations in areas such as counterterrorism and cyberterrorism to handle the workload.

Read More