Zach Greenberg
FIRE Staff Speaker
Senior Program Officer, Student Organizations, Campus Rights Advocacy
Campus Rights Team
A native New Yorker, Zach graduated from Binghamton University in 2013 and Syracuse Law in 2016. He developed an appreciation for free speech while leading the College Libertarians and the Federalist Society: In these roles, he sought to bring those with divergent opinions together for debate and discussion. His experience as a founding father of the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at Binghamton inspired his advocacy for student groups as a First Amendment attorney at FIRE.
Outside of FIRE, Zach serves on the board of directors of the First Amendment Lawyers Association and the Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance. He enjoys learning new board and card games, playing Ultimate Frisbee, and extolling the many virtues of the greatest city on earth—Philadelphia.
Recent Writings
- Syracuse suspends student orientation leader for hosting scavenger hunt,
- Federal court distorts First Amendment, upholds Tennessee Tech’s punishment of professors for ‘Game of Thrones’ parody flyers,
- University of Guam professor punished for speaking about local elections,
- Chilling open records request targets University of Washington faculty, threatens academic freedom,
- Flyers critical of the Chinese Communist Party torn down across George Washington University’s campus,
- University of Minnesota Medical School swears off compelled speech in white coat ceremony ,
- UC Hastings proposed Event Policy smacks down the ‘heckler’s veto’,
- Does the First Amendment apply to Virginia Commonwealth University? The public university doesn’t seem to think so.,
- University of St. Thomas promises free speech, yet practices censorship by denying College Republicans request to host Michael Knowles,
- UNC Chapel Hill student government commits to follow First Amendment after suggesting it wouldn’t fund pro-life student groups,
- Virginia Commonwealth University plans to violate the First Amendment rights of thousands of students with deferred recruitment policy,
- VICTORY: Northern Michigan University drops charges against student for circulating mental health survey ,
- Is Northern Michigan University still targeting students who talk about mental health?,
- Victory! Emory Law recognizes free speech student group after seven months of viewpoint-based rejection ,
- FIRE calls on the University of Maryland to end deferred recruitment policy for Greek life,
- New audio shows severe disruption of Yale Federalist Society panel — which the university did little to prevent,
- Dartmouth's 'safety' rationale crumbles as records reveal censorship as the primary motivator in canceling event with Andy Ngo,
- UC Hastings, University of North Texas can pave the way for free speech by addressing the ‘heckler’s veto’,
- Emory refuses to recognize new student groups after rejecting discussion group ,
- University of Washington administrator doubles down on censorship and compelled speech in land acknowledgment debacle,
- Is Emory going full Grinch? University tells students they can’t hang Christmas decorations.,
- Wichita State University’s student senate is asking whether it can deny a Turning Point USA chapter recognition. Here’s why it can’t.,
- Tennessee Tech professors sue their university for punishing them over Game of Thrones parody flyers ,
- Tennessee Tech punishes professors for flyer parodying Game of Thrones,
- FIRE files amicus brief urging New York state court to hold Syracuse accountable for expelling Theta Tau students,
- Bloomsburg University resorts to guilt by association to address fraternity and sorority misconduct ,
- Syracuse reinstates professor who joked about ‘Wuhan Flu’,
- Eastern Virginia Medical School student government rejects club, says student groups should not promote ‘opinions, political or otherwise’,
- SUNY Binghamton backs down on proposal to railroad Greek orgs, promises due process,
- Pitt’s punishment of professor over ‘deep disagreement’ with academic paper merits judicial intervention,
- In striking down Pa. Rule 8.4(g), federal court affirms that lawyers have First Amendment rights,
- University of Miami refuses to disavow punishing law professor over political expression,
- FIRE encourages universities to adopt Model Code of Student Conduct,
- New York appellate court ratifies Syracuse’s worthless free speech promises in Theta Tau litigation,
- Iowa State backs down from pledge to punish students for ‘suggestions of armed activity’,
- It’s not just a rock: Universities must preserve landmarks for student expression,
- Fraternity’s lawsuit against Syracuse University reveals disciplinary process riddled with student rights violations,
- SUNY Potsdam’s ‘banned organizations’ list violates the First Amendment,
- Cornell University must reject proposed limits on freedom of association,
- COVID-19 campus closures lead to questions about university overreach,
- Kennesaw State cheerleader settles for $145,000 over national anthem protest,
- George Washington University’s investigation into Snapchat video chills speech,
- Ohio University orders student groups to stop meeting and talking over social media; promises arbitrary enforcement of ban,
- Santa Clara University sees the light, finally recognizes YAF chapter,
- A chilling open records request for UMass professor’s emails,
- Santa Clara University ratifies rejection of student group over its political views,
- University of Houston promises to respect students’ rights, clarify free speech policies,
- Santa Clara student government — again! — denies recognition to student group over its conservative viewpoints,
- California appellate court revives Greek orgs’ suit over USC’s deferred recruiting policy,
- Lawyer sends chilling open records request to University of Nebraska-Lincoln professors,
- Harvard backs down from security fee on Palestinian rights event,
- Federal court vindicates high school student-athlete free speech rights,
- Syracuse University finally concedes that its free speech promises are worthless,
- Lawsuit asks court to violate student groups’ freedom of association,
- New York court upholds Syracuse Theta Tau students’ punishment despite finding their speech was protected,
- Gonzaga University cites possibility of protests in refusing to host Ben Shapiro,
- Second Amendment event proceeds after court blocks Kent State’s speech tax,
- UC Davis law professor subjected to open records request over criticism of financial groups,
- Lawsuits by Syracuse Theta Tau students against SU seeing signs of success,
- Two universities’ responses to cheerleader protests demonstrate need for principled student-athlete speech policies,
- OCR’s use of overly broad anti-Semitism definition threatens student and faculty speech,
- FIRE calls on Plymouth State University to rescind faculty punishment over participation in criminal trial,
- Best of Newsdesk: A world without hate speech,
- Documentary on 1969 student-athlete protest paves way for better solutions,
- Federal court allows student-athlete’s free speech claim against the University of Cincinnati to proceed,
- New York court chastises University at Buffalo in ruling for student in due process case,
- University of Washington settles security fee censorship lawsuit, agrees to change policy and pay $122,500 in legal fees,
- FIRE calls on Syracuse University to reverse suspensions over fraternity videos,
- Washington State University settles wolf researcher’s academic freedom claims for $300,000,
- University of Washington School of Law professors release letter denouncing viewpoint-based security fees,
- Appellate court cites FIRE legal scholarship in reversing flawed FERPA ruling,
- AAUP files brief in support of Marquette professor John McAdams,
- Federal court upholds college rule barring lawyer participation in campus hearings,
- New journal article discusses the conflict between academic freedom and open records laws,
- College students’ attitudes toward presentation of counter-viewpoints,
- Iowa meat companies urge University of Iowa to censor ‘Meatless Monday’ program,
- Dartmouth student’s op-ed incites calls for censorship and punishment of author,
- Twin calls for censorship at Stanford University,
- Former student-athlete sues UCF to vindicate First Amendment rights,
- FIRE article calls on Syracuse University students to eliminate speech codes,
- Tenth Circuit finds administrator not liable for expelling student over tweets,
- FIRE releases statement on student-athlete speech rights in wake of favorable court decision,
- New report sheds light on how open records laws impact academic freedom,
- University of Oklahoma censors fracking research at the request of oil company CEO,
- Indiana court decision threatens professorial free speech,
- Indiana court invokes absolute immunity in denying professor’s free speech claim ,
- A world without hate speech,
- New guidelines urge university leaders to protect free speech,
- Arizona appellate court reverses forced disclosure of professors’ academic records,
- Jewish author makes case for befriending neo-Nazis,
- Law review article: Just how exceptional is the First Amendment?,
- Best of Newsdesk: Rejecting the ‘heckler’s veto’,
- Rhode Island takes a stand for academic freedom,
- Supreme Court strikes down law prohibiting disparaging trademarks, affirms protection for offensive expression,
- Rejecting the ‘heckler’s veto’,
- Controversy over Chinese student’s pro-free speech commencement address covered by The Washington Post,
- Flawed FERPA ruling stifles transparency in higher education,
- Supreme Court won’t review flawed, damaging ruling on grad student speech,
- Law review article ‘Defining Hate Speech’ attempts the impossible,
- Open-Government Organizations Support Student Journalists’ Use of Sunshine Law Against UCF,
- FIRE Awaits Supreme Court Decision on Disparaging Trademarks,
- Harvard Law Professors Describe Creation of ‘The Sex Bureaucracy’,
- Court Rejects University’s Use of FERPA to Withhold Police Records,
- Judge Rules New York University Faculty Handbook a Binding Legal Contract,
- Professor Watchlist Draws Criticism from Free Speech Groups,
- Eighth Circuit Decision Opens Door for Violations of Students’ Speech Rights,
- National Labor Relations Board Protects Free Speech Rights of Northwestern University Football Players ,
- University of Alabama Drops $7,000 Security Fee for Milo Yiannopoulos Event,
- Berkeley Protesters Attack College Republicans, Campus Police Let It Happen,
- Syracuse Will Update Free Speech Policies After Israeli Filmmaker Disinvited, Reinvited,
- Ian McEwan’s Message to College Graduates: Protect Offensive Speech,
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