DePaul: The Nightmare That Keeps on Recurring

Today, the Collegiate Network announced that DePaul University won second “prize” in its Campus Outrage Awards, commonly known as the Pollys. Here’s how the CN put it:

DePaul University has essentially declared war on free speech on campus. First, the university suspended—without a hearing—a veteran adjunct professor for daring to debate students handing out pro-Palestinian literature on campus. Next, the administration branded as “propaganda” a College Republican protest of a Ward Churchill speech on campus. Finally, college officials shut down an affirmative action bake-sale sponsored by the campus conservative club and charged the club member who organized the event with harassment. Apparently, free speech is allowed at DePaul only as long as it accords with the political views of the university administration.

Yep, that’s a pretty good summary! And as with the “first place” Polly last year (Le Moyne College’s persecution of student Scott McConnell), it was FIRE that brought DePaul’s misdeeds to public attention—from the fired professor (Thomas Klocek), to the banned CR flyers, to the silenced “affirmative action bake sale”—and we are grateful to the CN for shedding even more light on DePaul’s stunning actions.