Shaw University: Severe Punishment for Criticizing Administration

Case Materials

• "President of Shaw University Fires a Professor and Evicts a Student for "Disloyalty"," FIRE Press Release, February 13, 2003: At Shaw University, in North Carolina, a professor of nineteen years has been fired and a student evicted, for "faithlessness in and disloyalty to" the president.
• "Letter from Shaw University President Talbert O. Shaw to FIRE, January 15, 2003," January 15, 2003
• "FIRE Letter to Shaw University President Talbert O. Shaw, January 13, 2003," January 13, 2003
• "Letter from Shaw University President Talbert O. Shaw to Dr. Gale J. Isaacs, November 16, 2002," November 16, 2002
• "Letter from Shaw University Vice President for Student Affairs Vaughan Witten to Shaw University Professor Shaniqua N. Bizzell, November 12, 2002," November 12, 2002
• "Petition from Shaw University Professor Gale J. Isaacs to Shaw University President Talbert O. Shaw, October 24, 2002," October 24, 2002

Media Coverage

• "The Chill Is Nothing New," Greg Lukianoff, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 9, 2005: Some would like to imagine that the excesses of "political correctness” are ancient history, but repression in the name of tolerance hasn't gone anywhere. Oppressive speech codes are not only still around—they have actually multiplied, even after numerous court decisions declared them unconstitutional.
• "Bullies in the School Yard," Kathleen Jachowski, American Voices, February 19, 2003
• "Shaw graduate seeks redress," Cindy George, News And Observer, February 13, 2003
• "Letter Critical of Shaw Actions," Cindy George, The News and Observer, January 18, 2003
• "Shaw professor fired over letter," Cindy George, News and Observer, December 12, 2002