Table of Contents
Shortell Declines Chairmanship After All
Just a quick update that Professor Timothy Shortell has decided not to take up the position as chair of the sociology department at Brooklyn College. This decision comes after controversy arose over his writings about religion and religious people on a non-school-related website. (Read David’s posts for more details about the legal implications for Shortell’s chairmanship and about freedom of speech for department chairs in general.)
Recent Articles
Get the latest free speech news and analysis from FIRE.
Texas censors get more censorial
Higher ed in Texas is under fire once again after a history professor was forced to remove readings and references to “LGBT Americans.”
Iran war triggers calls for censorship in UK as higher ed regulator seeks to monitor ‘extremism’
War abroad and censorship at home, meanwhile the UK bans protests and eyes campus speech under “non-violent extremism,” raising alarms for academic freedom.
Northern Ireland to consider abolishing blasphemy law
Blasphemy laws face scrutiny in Northern Ireland, Dubai warns over social media posts, and free speech battles erupt from UK campuses to Thai courts.
Iowa’s higher ed reform bills threaten academic freedom
Iowa lawmakers want to purge DEI, CRT, and “multiculturalism” from college classrooms. But the First Amendment doesn’t let the state ban ideas.