Top Colleges and Universities Have Policies That Could Be Used To Improperly Censor Students for Constitutionally Protected Speech

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has voiced concerns about censorship, as their recent investigative report revealed that approximately 85% of prestigious US institutions impose speech restrictions.

This rise signals a worrisome trend in the aftermath of progress spanning over a decade during which the frequency of stern speech regulations in colleges and universities was on the decline. However, these regulations are now gaining prominence for the second consecutive year.

Laura Beltz, FIRE’s director of policy reform, emphasized the problem, stating that free speech at higher educational establishments continues to deteriorate. She expressed concern over the predominant colleges and universities, who are increasingly exerting controls and employing highly controversial policies to regulate their students’ freedom of speech.

The findings of the FIRE’s 2024 Spotlight on Speech Codes report, which evaluates 489 of the United States’ reputed colleges and universities, outlined how academic regulations might act as a weapon against students and stifle their constitutional privilege of free speech. The information purports that most private institutions, constituting almost 95%, claim to safeguard free speech; a pledge they are morally and contractually bound to keep.