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Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

FIRE Update

by Newsletter

April 16

Silence From Teachers College
Nearly a year after Teachers College President Susan Fuhrman indicated to FIRE that changes in the school's use of "dispositions" were forthcoming, the silence from Teachers College remains deafening. To our great disappointment, FIRE has, as of yet, received no response to our most recent letter to Teachers College and its Board of Trustees. In the letter, sent March 12, 2008, FIRE asked, yet again, that the school cease its current practice of evaluating students according to their adherence to a predetermined institutional ideology. Teachers College's continuing refusal to eliminate its reliance on "dispositions" as evaluative criteria means that Teachers College students remain in effect, subject to an ideological litmus test as a condition of matriculation, despite the school's public commitments to free expression and academic freedom.

Greg Debates Academic Freedom for the Los Angeles Times
All this week, FIRE's president Greg Lukianoff will be debating with Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine and Scientific American columnist, on issues concerning academic freedom in higher education. As part of the Los Angeles Times' opinion section "Dust-Up", Greg and Michael will answer questions on political bias, indoctrination of students, and ideological curricula at universities. Greg will also be discussing the ongoing debates on his blog at The Huffington Post.

University of Delaware Retreats on Oppressive Speech Code
The University of Delaware has revised a speech code that used to classify "any instance that is perceived by those involved as being racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, or otherwise oppressive" as an emergency equal to fire, suicide attempts, and alcohol overdose. Now, the code refers only to "significant bias related acts that have the potential to create a significant disturbance to the community" at the same emergency level. But the university also maintains that "those who engage in acts of hatred and bias-motivated threats and behavior will be confronted, prosecuted and expelled from our community." FIRE is pleased that University of Delaware has improved its code, but the university still has a long way to go to bring it in line with the Constitution.

Lake Superior State University Violates Free Expression Rights
Lake Superior State University (LSSU) has ordered a professor to remove materials dealing with issues such as Islamic terrorism, gun control, presidential politics, and the war in Iraq from his office door or face charges of "insubordination." After an anonymous person complained that the materials were offensive, LSSU officials told Professor Richard Crandall, a nearly 40-year veteran of teaching, to immediately remove the items and to practice his academic freedom with "responsibility"—while allowing other professors to maintain similar postings about the same issues on their office doors.

Dubious Distinction: Brandeis Administration, VSU President Win "Muzzles" from Thomas Jefferson Center
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression announced the recipients of the seventeenth annual Jefferson Muzzles, an "award" bestowed by the Center on those individuals or institutions it deems as "the country's most egregious and ridiculous censors." Among the recipients of 2008 Muzzles are the administration of Brandeis University and Valdosta State University President Ronald M. Zaccari because—as FIRE supporters already know all too well—each "forgot or disregarded Mr. Jefferson's admonition that freedom of speech 'cannot be limited without being lost.'" Awarded every year around Thomas Jefferson's birthday of April 13, the Muzzles are intended to focus national attention on acts of both public and private censorship and increase awareness and appreciation of the First Amendment's guarantee of free expression. FIRE is pleased that the Center has recognized precisely how abhorrent to fundamental concepts of liberty the conduct of both Zaccari and Brandeis has been throughout the past year. Both Brandeis and Valdosta State are among the four schools currently on FIRE's "Red Alert" list for displaying "severe and ongoing disregard for the fundamental rights of its students or faculty members."

Recent Media Coverage
Rocky Mountain News, April 16, "Star Chamber at CC," by Vincent Carroll

Denver Post, April 12, "Joking students called on the carpet," by Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier

The Bulletin, April 11, "Temple's civil rights violations are a disgrace," by Chris Freind

The Sault Star, April 11, "Freedom of speech group takes aim at Lake Superior State," by Michael Purvis

WorldNetDaily, April 11, "'Blasting Bush OK, but don't criticize terrorists'

The Bulletin, April 10, "Temple denies degree to decorated vet," by Jenny DeHuff

Reason Online, April 10, "Mother Superior State College jumped the gun images," by Nick Gillespie

Inside Higher Ed, April 10, "Pardon me, but your door is terribly offensive," by Andy Guess

SooToday, Ontario Canada, April 10, "LSSU. Bastion of academic freedom. Killer of comics

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, April 10, "Group faults colleges over speech issues," by Will Bigham

More media content at thefire.org »

April 16, "What Did President Celeste Really Think About The Monthly Bag?," Robert Shibley

April 16, "Individual Rights Languishing in Indiana," Adam Kissel

April 16, "The Coalition of Some Other Dudes and the Range of an M1-A1 Tank," Adam Kissel

April 15, "Greg Debates Academic Freedom for LA Times All This Week," Erin Royce

April 15, "Can State Officials Condemn Without Censoring?," Adam Kissel

April 15, "Indoctrinate U debuts in New York City," Alisha Glennon

April 15, "Delaware ResLife--Fourth Time the Charm?," Adam Kissel

Read The Torch at thefire.org »

Recent Multimedia Content
FIREside Chats, Episode 109: Information on the CFN's Summer Conference

FIREside Chats, Episode 108: FIRE's Case at Colorado College

FIREside Chats, Episode 107: FIRE's Case at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

More multimedia at thefire.org »

2008

The mission of FIRE is to defend and sustain individual rights at America's colleges and universities.

Speech Code of the Month

FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for April 2008: Murray State University. The Women's Center at Murray State maintains a guide to sexual harassment that provides students with numerous examples of sexual harassment, including, among others, "telling sexual jokes or stories"; "looking a person up and down (elevator eyes)"; and "displaying sexual and/or derogatory comments about men/women on coffee mugs...." Unless these behaviors rise to the level of severity and pervasiveness necessary to constitute actual harassment, however, they are constitutionally protected expression, which Murray State—as a public university—is obligated to protect.

FIRE is excited to offer a special online giving incentive for our donors. When you make an online donation of $200 or more to FIRE, you can receive a DVD of Indoctrinate U, a riveting documentary that exposes the "anti-intellectual, intolerant culture of our nation's campuses." Produced by Evan Coyne Maloney, the film features some of FIRE's successful battles against unconstitutional speech codes and our major 2004 victory for free speech at Cal Poly. This promotion only lasts as long as the DVDs do, so if you would like to receive one, hurry and donate to claim your copy—just specify "I would like to receive an IU DVD" when making your donation.

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