When universities punish faculty speech, everyone loses
Preview:
Faculty across the country are facing termination and suspension for classroom instruction and public remarks, as universities bow to pressure from conservative lawmakers, activists, and federal actors. Academic freedom and free speech serve distinct but overlapping purposes, and most of the recent disciplinary actions cross the line into unconstitutional or professionally unjustified censorship. Experts warn that more scholars have been punished for their speech in recent years than during the entire Red Scare.
Originally published: March 15, 2026
Author: David Wippman
Position: President Emeritus
Institution: Hamilton College
Published by: The Hill