Aaron Terr
Director of Public Advocacy
Public Advocacy Team
A native of Long Island, New York, Aaron graduated from Vassar College with a degree in biology in 2007. He went on to attend the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review. After earning his J.D. in 2012, Aaron worked as a judicial clerk and then as a staff attorney at the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. A former volunteer for the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Aaron has a longstanding interest in civil liberties. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar, hiking, and playing racket sports.
Recent Writings
- Indie-no-go: Popular crowdfunding sites cancel fundraisers for comic books about gender identity and the U.S.-Mexico border,
- Florida school district removes library books in response to public complaints, defying First Amendment and district policy,
- Yes, you should be worried about the FBI’s relationship with Twitter,
- Alaska state rep faces potential disqualification from office under ‘disloyalty’ clause,
- Far from free speech savior, Elon Musk increasingly looks like a false prophet ,
- Illiberal and ill-advised calls to censor social media intensify,
- King County, Wash. is this year’s First Amendment Scrooge,
- In vote tonight, St. Marys, Kansas government must not cut ties with public library for refusing to censor,
- FIRE’s Supreme Court preview 2022-2023,
- Twitter’s new era continues to stir debate around online free speech,
- Loyola NOLA saddles professor with repeated investigations, diversity trainings, and termination threats based on protected speech in and outside the classroom,
- Tennessee public school’s unconstitutional dress code needs some Tinkering,
- In wake of Buffalo shooting, New York AG’s livestreaming policy recommendations threaten First Amendment rights,
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s cagey responses about ‘diversity action plans’ prompt FIRE to file public records request,
- Did PayPal quietly bring back its financial penalty for spreading ‘misinformation’?,
- Did PayPal reverse course on proposed speech-chilling policies?,
- PayPal is no pal to free expression,
- ‘Diversity action plans’ at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville leave free speech and academic freedom hanging in the balance,
- Indiana University School of Medicine approves ideological litmus test for faculty seeking tenure and promotion ,
- Compelled snitching? Oklahoma Christian’s attack on free speech and academic freedom is worse than we realized,
- Chancellor’s defense of proposed California Community Colleges DEIA regulations falls short,
- You can’t make me unblock you because I quit (Twitter),
- San Diego Community College District chancellor blocks faculty critic on Twitter for complaining about Alice Walker speaking invitation,
- VICTORY: University of Washington rejects DEI statement proposal that threatened academic freedom,
- Records undermine SUNY Brockport’s justifications for censoring Jalil Muntaqim event,
- FIRE releases statement on the use of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ criteria in faculty hiring and evaluation,
- Christian University denies due process to longtime professor fired for gay guest speaker’s story about resilience and authenticity,
- Cal State Channel Islands to student: Stop criticizing us, or else,
- Elizabethtown College’s hot streak of student rights violations continues with targeting of TPUSA chapter,
- Oklahoma Christian University ‘demands’ free speech — then allegedly fires tenured professor for inviting gay guest speaker to class,
- Concordia University Wisconsin must reinstate professor suspended without due process for article critical of university’s ‘woke dysphoria’,
- FIRE calls on University of Toledo to reject proposed policy requiring use of ‘chosen first names’,
- VICTORY: Boston University confirms statements of ideological ‘commitments’ are not binding on theater faculty, revises anti-discrimination training to respect faculty members’ expressive rights,
- ‘Not quite. Try again.’ Boston University training on discrimination and harassment brooks no dissent from university-approved views,
- FIRE calls on UC Santa Cruz to drop diversity statement mandate for faculty applicants,
- University of Florida task force recommends ‘strong presumption’ that faculty can testify in state-involved litigation,
- Elizabethtown College bars TPUSA chapter from hosting speaker opposed to critical race theory,
- In unfortunate display of irony, Maryland Institute College of Art disciplines faculty member for comments about free expression and dissent,
- Exonerated professor: Months-long investigations of protected speech are incompatible with academic freedom,
- How Yale Law School pressured a law student to apologize for a Constitution Day ‘trap house’ invitation,
- University of Iowa posts revised, but still imperfect, guidance on what faculty can say about COVID-19 vaccinations, masks,
- University of Iowa issues — then quickly rescinds — guidance to faculty restricting speech related to COVID-19 vaccinations and masks,
- Idaho education task force may threaten academic freedom,
- FIRE calls on Bridgewater State University to uphold academic freedom by rejecting proposed changes to research-approval body,
- Response to professor’s criticism of 1619 Project reveals misunderstanding of faculty’s right to speak on public issues,
- FIRE calls on Cornell to eliminate diversity-statement mandate, reject ‘educational requirement’ for faculty,
- SUNY Binghamton misinterprets Title IX in changes to sexual misconduct policy,
- Investigation reveals Boise State suspended diversity courses over unsubstantiated rumor,
- Student affairs group, NASPA, promotes outdated guide on campus sexual violence, misstates law [UPDATED],
- University of Utah lifts restrictions on RAs speaking to the media,
- FIRE, NCAC, and PEN America: Tennessee public universities must respect their student-athletes’ First Amendment rights ,
- FIRE warns UAB not to punish professor over tweet about Rush Limbaugh’s death,
- Eighth Circuit: Arkansas anti-BDS law violates First Amendment,
Host a FIRE Speaker On Your Campus
Hosting a FIRE speaker at your school is a great way to catalyze social change at your institution and educate your campus community about the importance of free speech, due process, and religious liberty.
Explore Our Work
FIRE is a mission-driven organization of hardworking, dedicated team members committed to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought.
Explore FIRE's Advocacy