Skip to main content

- What We Do
- What we defend
- Have your rights been violated?
  If you face retaliation over protected speech, reach out to FIRE to learn more about how we can protect your rights.
  Submit a Case
- Make a difference
- FIRE Student Network
  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.
  Build Your Network
- FIRE Legal Network
  The FIRE Legal Network is a nationwide group of attorneys to whom we refer cases when counsel is necessary and the matter at issue falls outside the scope of FIRE’s mission or ability to assist.
  Join the Network
- Resources
- College Free Speech Rankings
  Presented by FIRE and College Pulse, the 2024 College Free Speech Rankings is the largest survey of campus free expression ever performed.
  Explore Rankings
- Learn with FIRE
  Learn with FIRE provides learners with the opportunity to take courses on a wide range of topics, including free speech and due process, designed by our expert staff. Check out our library of resources to get started on your First Amendment journey!
  Get Started
Colleges
News
Cases
About Us
Submit a Case

Table of Contents

Risky Business at ‘Slate’

by

Alison Meyer

May 24, 2012

Internet powerhouse Slate featured a piece on Tuesday interviewing the founder of the "risk quotient" scale, Dylan Evans. Evans' remarks about risk assessment and "risk intelligence" are interesting, especially when he mentions FIRE and his opinions about the increasingly risk-averse culture of academia (near the end of the interview).

Two years ago this month, FIRE President Greg Lukianoff wrote in The Huffington Post about a sexual harassment charge filed against Evans for discussing the sexual habits of fruit bats. (Professor Evans was censured by University College Cork in Ireland, which is outside of FIRE's mission.) This powerful experience with the stranglehold of academic political correctness gave Evans personal evidence for what he calls "a worrying trend in academia towards policies that inhibit free discussion of ideas and sharing of information," which we see throughout the American academy.

Check out the rest of Evans' take on the stymied progress of academic culture and his thoughts about risk intelligence here.

Recent Articles

FIRE’s award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.

Faraz Harsini and Daraius Dubash

Animal rights advocates sue after facing ongoing censorship and arrest for peaceful advocacy in Houston public park

September 21, 2023

One advocate was arrested and handcuffed for two hours after peacefully demonstrating in a public park. FIRE is suing to protect the constitutional right to speak freely in public parks.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks

Federal law unconstitutionally lets government officials and public figures veto their critics’ trademarks

September 22, 2023

In new friend-of-the-court filing, FIRE asks Supreme Court to affirm lower court decision striking “consent” requirement for trademarks.

Hundreds attended Fellowship of Christian Athletes Fields of Faith event at Central's football stadium

Fellowship of Christian Athletes scores big Ninth Circuit win for religious liberty and freedom of association

September 22, 2023

Belief-based student groups won an important victory last week in a federal appeals court, which restored the ability of many such groups to meet on public campuses and in public schools in the many western states.

Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

FIRE statement on district court ruling in Spectrum WT v. Walter Wendler

September 22, 2023

A federal district court denied FIRE’s request for a preliminary injunction and held that West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler is entitled to qualified immunity.

Share

Share this selection via email