National Free Speech News & Commentary

Thomas Bender Sarasota Herald Tribune

‘Shame on You’: Over Fiery Protests, Florida’s New College Trustees Deny 5 Tenure Bids

April 26, 2023 1 min read

by Tom Bartlett, Chronicle of Higher Education

The meeting of New College of Florida’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday afternoon began with a full hour of fierce criticism from members of the community, as dozens of professors, students, and parents lambasted what they view as a hostile takeover of the institution by a Republican governor with likely presidential ambitions.

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AAUP accuses Emporia State of flouting academic freedom with faculty layoffs

AAUP accuses Emporia State of flouting academic freedom with faculty layoffs

April 25, 2023 1 min read

by Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Higher Ed Dive

The nation’s leading faculty group has accused Emporia State University of imperiling academic freedom when it laid off at least 30 professors last year over financial concerns.

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Bill Maher gives ‘Cojones Awards’ to those who fought cancel culture

Bill Maher gives ‘Cojones Awards’ to those who fought cancel culture

April 22, 2023 1 min read

by Rich Calder, New York Post

Now that takes balls! “Real Time” host Bill Maher jokingly unveiled a new “award show” during his closing monologue Friday evening, saying it’ll be better than the Oscars and Emmys because it’s dedicated to people brave enough to stand up against the cancel culture. He vowed to present the “Cojones Awards”

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Courtesy Cornell University

Cornell's President Defends Free Speech Against Illiberal Impulses

April 19, 2023 1 min read

by Jacob Sullum, Reason Magazine

The last time I spoke at Cornell University, the turnout was tiny but attentive. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who graduated from Cornell a few years before I did, attracted a much larger crowd when she visited the campus in November, but her talk was repeatedly interrupted by loud and angry protesters, and she left in frustration after half an hour.

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Commentary: The Moral Center Is Fighting Back on Elite College Campuses

Commentary: The Moral Center Is Fighting Back on Elite College Campuses

April 16, 2023 1 min read

by David French, The New York Times

The extremist attacks on free speech (from right and left) degrade American democracy, and those attacks are especially acute on college campuses, whether they come from angry left-wing students who shout down conservative speakers or from vengeful right-wing legislators.

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Commentary: Thoughts on the “Heckler’s Veto”

Commentary: Thoughts on the “Heckler’s Veto”

April 14, 2023 1 min read

by Hank Reichman, Academe Blog

Permitting speakers to be shouted down, allowing demonstrators to block access to speeches, or failing to provide sufficient security to ensure that a speech will be delivered...

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