Principled. Nonpartisan. Defending Your Rights.

At a time when too many abandon principle in favor of partisanship, FIRE continues to be a sincerely nonpartisan organization. With threats to expression on all sides, FIRE remains firmly planted on the side of free speech. And thanks to the generous support of our donors, we’re able to translate that principle into action. 

FIRE reviews hundreds of alleged civil liberties violations every year and seeks justice when institutions fail to uphold their commitments to our basic rights. 

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Joliet Junior College Student Ivette Salazar

Agile, Aggressive Campus Advocacy

There are a lot of words you could use to describe FIRE. In the last year, many of those characteristics came to the forefront as we confronted unprecedented demand, unique challenges, and unanticipated obstacles in our college campus work.

FIRE Case Files

70

In 2022 alone, FIRE’s Campus Rights Advocacy team won 70 campus rights victories, impacting the rights of thousands of college students and faculty.

529

Since 1999, FIRE has won 529 defense victories at 315 colleges and universities.

1,400

In 2022, FIRE vetted nearly 1,400 case submissions involving individuals and groups who said their rights were threatened.

400k

In 2022, FIRE’s College Policy Reform team won 46 victories at 23 schools affecting 400,000 students.

University of Washington Professor Stuart Reges
University administrators turned me into a pariah on campus because I included a land acknowledgment that wasn’t sufficiently progressive for them.

Defending Your Rights in Court

Faculty Story

When Professor Stuart Reges challenged the University of Washington’s position on land acknowledgements, administrators punished him, undermining his academic freedom. He reached out to FIRE, and we took the university to court. “I am pleased that FIRE joined with me to fight back against University of Washington’s illegal viewpoint discrimination,” said Reges.

Read Stuart’s Story

How Does Your College Compare?

FIRE’s 2022 College Free Speech Rankings are based on the voices of more than 44,000 currently enrolled students at 208 colleges and are designed to help parents and prospective students choose the right school.

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65%

Nearly two-thirds of FIRE’s college cases in 2020 involved students, and 28% involved faculty.

300

FIRE’s Legal Network currently boasts more than 300 members.

1/4

Nearly one quarter of FIRE’s cases in 2020 involved social media or online speech.

15

FIRE wrote or signed onto 15 amicus briefs in key legal cases in 2021.

University of Connecticut Students Michael Hernandez Isadore Johnson and John Jay Mosely

If we can find ways of encouraging the administration to see stakeholders for free speech as important members of the community, then I think we can make some serious changes.

University of Connecticut Student Body President Michael Hernández (center) and student senators (left to right) Isadore Johnson and John “Jay” Mosely attempted to introduce student government legislation that would protect students’ expressive rights. 

Read THEIR Story

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Support the Fight for Free Speech

Help us build a new free speech movement and promote a strong culture of free speech by supporting FIRE with a donation today. Please join us in this important work!

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