Princeton Free Speech News & Commentary

Academic Freedom Alliance

Excerpt: The Academic Freedom Alliance urges federal agencies that fund research in STEMM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) to desist from demanding that plans to advance DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) be included in their grant proposals.

Widespread requirements for such plans in STEMM grant proposals have been implemented rapidly with far too little attention to their potential misuse, their effects on quality and integrity of funded research, and the threat they represent to academic freedom.

Abigail Anthony
National Review

Excerpt: An anonymous male student is suing the Trustees of Princeton University for breach of contract, violations of Title IX, and negligence. According to the lawsuit, “John Doe” began studying at Princeton University in 2022 and was suspended after the disciplinary proceedings that followed from two women filing separate charges of choking accusations.

Academic Freedom Alliance Press Release

Excerpt: The Academic Freedom Alliance today announced the favorable resolution of its case in defense of John Strauss, a professor at the University of Southern California who was accused of harassment by student protestors after he briefly engaged with them at a pro-Palestinian rally on campus. USC dismissed the case against Professor Strauss earlier this month.

Keith E. Whittington
Chronicle of Higher Education

Excerpt:It is not surprising for a boss to think that employees should avoid saying things in public that might damage the organization for which they both work. It is not even surprising for the boss to understand “damage” to include making the boss’s own life more difficult.

Cory Alperstein ’78, Lynne Archibald ’87, Robert Herbst ’69, Jessie Press-Williams *23, Hannah Reynolds ’22, Ryan Warsling *21
Princeton Alumni Weekly

Excerpt: Every year, the Committee to Nominate Alumni Trustees calls for nominations for elections to be held in April. As alumni who care about Princeton and its place in the world, we responded. However, in the unofficial year of democracy, our experience has left us with many questions about who really runs the University.  . . . Our concerns relate . . . to the process and profound lack of transparency of the Board of Trustees and the Committee to Nominate Alumni Trustees.

By Ed Yingling '70
PFS Co-Founder

The Princetonians for Free Speech (PFS) second annual survey of Princeton students is now available. This survey provides information on student attitudes on key free speech issues. Because the survey is being done annually, comparisons can be made to see if Princeton is making progress. Unfortunately, with three important exceptions, on most issues the survey shows little or no progress from the troublesome results in the first survey. In a few cases, the results are worse than last year. Clearly Princeton still has work to do.