NEW REPORT:
“Scholars Under Fire” documents 426 attempts to penalize collegiate scholars for their expression since 2015.
An alarming 74% of the attempts were successful.
Press release:
go.thefire.org/scholars-under…
Database:
thefire.org/research/schol…
“Scholars Under Fire” documents 426 attempts to penalize collegiate scholars for their expression since 2015.
An alarming 74% of the attempts were successful.
Press release:
go.thefire.org/scholars-under…
Database:
thefire.org/research/schol…
We found that these incidents increased significantly in recent years, quadrupling since 2015 and peaking in 2020 at 113 incidents.
This year is on pace to match or exceed 2020’s record.
This year is on pace to match or exceed 2020’s record.
Other findings:
* Most incidents occur because of speech or expression on social media.
* Campuses where the most targeting incidents occur tend to also have severely restrictive speech codes
* Incidents occur most often in disciplines at the core of liberal arts education.
* Most incidents occur because of speech or expression on social media.
* Campuses where the most targeting incidents occur tend to also have severely restrictive speech codes
* Incidents occur most often in disciplines at the core of liberal arts education.
The problem spans ideologies:
While most campaigns (62%) came from the political “left” of the scholar, 34% came from the scholar’s “right.”
While most campaigns (62%) came from the political “left” of the scholar, 34% came from the scholar’s “right.”
“Behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated,” said Sean Stevens, FIRE’s senior research fellow and co-author of the report.
“If administrators keep caving in to demands to punish faculty for their expression, the demands will continue to increase."
“If administrators keep caving in to demands to punish faculty for their expression, the demands will continue to increase."
“Scholars should not lose their jobs for expressing controversial views,” said FIRE Research Fellow Komi German, one of the report’s authors.
"Disagreement should be the catalyst for debate, not a license to silence disagreeable opinions and penalize those who hold them.”
"Disagreement should be the catalyst for debate, not a license to silence disagreeable opinions and penalize those who hold them.”
Faculty need legal help to defend their expression — and their jobs.
In light of increased risks to faculty expression, FIRE is officially launching the Faculty Legal Defense Fund to provide free legal assistance to faculty at public colleges and universities across the country.
In light of increased risks to faculty expression, FIRE is officially launching the Faculty Legal Defense Fund to provide free legal assistance to faculty at public colleges and universities across the country.
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