Statehouses, Not Student Activists, Are the Real Threat to Free Speech
Preview:
In recent weeks, academic leaders have defended expressive and academic freedom with noteworthy force. Martha E. Pollack, president of Cornell, vetoed an undergraduate student assembly’s resolution calling for “traumatic content” warnings in class. Penn State’s president, Neeli Bendapudi, released a video giving a rationale for having controversial speakers on campus. “The best way to combat speech is with more speech,” she argued, and the best way “to combat bad ideas is with better ideas.”
Originally published: May 17, 2023
Author: Eduardo Peñalver
Position: President
Institution: Seattle University
Published by: The Chronicle of Higher Ed