Press Release
December 31, 2009
America's college and university campuses continued to rank among the worst places in America for free speech and other First Amendment rights in 2009. Yet thanks to the work of FIRE and the American people's continued belief in our nation's founding principles, freedom on campus made real advances this year, led by a drop in the percentage of public campuses that unconstitutionally restrict the right to freedom of expression. Read Full Article
The Torch
December 28, 2009
Today's issue of the New York Post features an op-ed by FIRE's Adam Kissel, in which he discusses the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities' plan to impose a political litmus test on future teachers enrolled in its College of Education and Human Development. After FIRE intervened, university counsel promised that the college would never force students to adopt one particular ideology or screen out candidates with the "wrong beliefs." Adam's op-ed can be read online. Read Full Article
Press Release
December 23, 2009
In response to sustained pressure from FIRE, the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities has backed away from its plans to enforce a political litmus test for future teachers. The plans from its College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) involved redesigning admissions and the curriculum to enforce an ideology centered on a narrow view of "cultural competence." Those with the "wrong" views were to receive remedial re-education, be weeded out, or be denied admission altogether. In a letter to FIRE, however, the university's top lawyer has now promised that the university will never "mandate any particular beliefs, or screen out people with ‘wrong beliefs' from the University." Read Full Article
The Torch
December 22, 2009
Today, FIRE filed an amicus curiae brief in the case of McCauley v. University of the Virgin Islands. FIRE's brief asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to preserve its landmark decision in DeJohn v. Temple University and reverse a ruling by a federal district court upholding several challenged speech policies maintained by the university. Although the district court's ruling did find the University of the Virgin Islands' "Hazing-Harassment" policy void for overbreadth, as required by DeJohn, the district court erred by allowing two other flawed policies to remain intact.
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Press Release
December 17, 2009
The University of Minnesota–Twin Cities is defending its plans to enforce a political litmus test for future teachers in the face of national outrage. The plans from its College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) involve redesigning admissions and the curriculum to enforce an ideology centered on a narrow view of "cultural competence." Those with the "wrong" views are to receive remedial re-education, be weeded out, or be denied admission altogether. After an anonymous source at the university contacted FIRE for help, FIRE called on the university to end its plans, but the university has defended the program by publicly misrepresenting it. Read Full Article
Press Release
December 15, 2009
Today, FIRE announces the winners of its 2009 "Freedom in Academia" high school essay contest. More than 2,700 students submitted essays for the contest. Home school student Nathaniel Cornelius of Paynesville, Minnesota, wrote the winning essay, Andrew David King of Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, California, and Eric Podolsky of Sylvania Southview High School in Sylvania, Ohio, took the two second-place slots, and five other students were runners-up. Cornelius will receive a $5,000 college scholarship, King and Podolsky will each receive $2,500 college scholarships, and each runner-up will receive a $1,000 college scholarship.
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