Rutgers president orders review of ruling against professor for Facebook posts about white gentrification in Harlem
In a letter sent Wednesday evening, Rutgers President Robert L. Barchi informed senior administrators that he has ordered the reevaluation of an earlier ruling finding Professor James Livingston guilty of violating university policy for two Facebook posts critical of white gentrification in Harlem.
The tenured professor of history at Rutgers-New Brunswick came under investigation earlier this summer by the university’s Office of Employment Equity after several of Livingston’s Facebook posts grabbed the attention of the media.
On May 31, while at a restaurant in his Harlem neighborhood, Livingston posted on his personal account, “OK, officially, I now hate [...] » Read More
Category: Newsdesk, Top Story
Schools: Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Cases: Rutgers University: Tenured professor found guilty of violating discrimination and harassment policy for Facebook posts about gentrification
Be someone’s compass. Be someone’s shield. Be a student defender.
Anyone who’s read our website this week knows that it is jam-packed with resources to help students defend and advocate for their freedom of expression.
But it doesn’t end there.
If you’re a student who cares about fundamental fairness, due process, and campus justice, FIRE wants to help you be a hero to your peers at a time when they need you most. That’s why we’re so proud to write about our Student Defenders program.
Every year, students at campuses across the country are accused of a wide range of conduct code violations, from underage drinking to [...] » Read More
Preliminary Education Department rules on campus sexual misconduct include important due process protections, according to report
Late yesterday, The New York Times reported that it acquired a copy of new regulations the Department of Education will soon propose to replace the now-rescinded 2011 Dear Colleague letter and other guidance from past administrations regarding how to respond to sexual misconduct allegations on campus.
Judging solely by the Times’ reporting on the document (the actual draft guidance has not been made public), it sounds as though the proposed rules will go a long way towards restoring meaningful due process protections to the campus justice system, to the ultimate benefit of students — both accuser and accused.
Some [...] » Read More
Category: Newsdesk, Top Story
Cases: U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights April 4, 2011, Guidance Letter Reduces Due Process Protections
Students return to campus with FIRE on their side
Laptop? Check. Class schedule? Check. America’s top civil liberties organization for student and faculty rights? Check.
As students and faculty head back to school with new opportunities to learn, teach, and defend their First Amendment rights, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is working to give them access to the resources they need. New this year is FIRE’s focus on high school students — so they know their rights in college from the moment they arrive on campus.
For those still in high school, some of FIRE’s resources include:
New materials for high school students and teachers: FIRE’s principled take [...] » Read More
Category: Newsdesk, Press Releases, Top Story
FIRE’s Student Network website: The essential resource for student activism on campus
Since 1999, it has been FIRE’s mission to protect free speech and due process rights on campus. Over the past 19 years, with thousands of students benefiting from our work, our mission has changed as little as our resolute commitment to it.
As FIRE has grown, so has the range of resources we offer for students who wish to help educate members of the campus community about their rights, shine a spotlight on bad policies, and defend and protect free speech and due process on campus. Students have never been in a better position not merely to bring this [...] » Read More
Students: Commit to expression today! FIRE Student Network launches the fall 2018 activism toolkit
Summer is winding down, but excitement is in the air as students gear up for the new school year. For some, this semester will mark their first steps into the storied halls of higher learning. Others will continue the journey down their own paths.
All, however, will be greeted by students from a diverse range of backgrounds with varied interests and perspectives, working towards the expansion of their intellectual horizons.
FIRE’s hope is that all members of the campus community will be free to live, learn, and engage in a climate that promotes free thought and open discourse.
To these ends, [...] » Read More
Keene State College becomes third institution in New Hampshire to earn FIRE’s coveted ‘green light’ rating
KEENE, N.H., Aug. 29, 2018 — A third New Hampshire college has honored the state’s motto of “Live Free or Die” by revising all of its speech policies that conflicted with the First Amendment. Today, Keene State College earns the highest rating for free speech from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
Keene State is the 42nd institution nationwide to earn FIRE’s coveted “green light” rating, signifying that the institution does not maintain any written policies that imperil free expression. The University of New Hampshire earned the distinction in May, joining Plymouth State University [...] » Read More
Category: Newsdesk, Press Releases Schools: Keene State College
Evan Cree Gee joins FIRE staff
Evan Cree Gee has joined our staff as FIRE’s new Assistant to the Executive Director.
Evan graduated magna cum laude with high honors in political science from Ohio’s Kenyon College earlier this year, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, involved with various singing groups, campus government, and the Outdoors Club. He also wrote occasional opinion pieces on students rights for the Kenyon’s campus newspaper, The Kenyon Collegian.
Evan’s interest in the freedom of thought on college campuses began as a Kenyon freshman when his advisor recommended that he read Allan Bloom’s “The Closing of the [...] » Read More
Join the FIRE Faculty Network!
The FIRE Faculty Network is a diverse coalition of faculty interested in defending and sustaining academic freedom, free speech, and other civil liberties on campus. If you’re a faculty member interested in these issues, join the network today! By joining, you’ll receive information curated specifically for faculty, including the latest legal developments, strategies for activism, and noteworthy research and reporting related to free speech and academic freedom.
You’ll also receive updates on FIRE’s work, including information about our upcoming faculty conference, which will be taking place this year from October 11–13 in Chicago. The conference will bring [...] » Read More
A FIRE Student Network membership: The perfect back-to-school accessory
Before you head to school, sign up for the FIRE Student Network (FSN) and be the first to know about exciting opportunities at FIRE. You’ll also receive information on your First Amendment rights and strategies on how best to defend them on campus.
The FIRE Student Network is a diverse coalition of college students who care about protecting civil liberties on campus. By signing up to be an FSN member, you will receive email updates with exclusive invitations to FIRE events; information about opportunities such as our FIRE summer internship program and FIRE conferences; tips for [...] » Read More