School Spotlight
The Catholic University of America
Speech Code Rating
- At present, FIRE does not maintain information on this school's policies.
Catholic University of America: Student Investigated for “Arthur” Children’s Cartoon Meme Criticizing Student Group
April 1, 2022
On March 23, 2022, Catholic University of America’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter posted a picture of a transgender athlete with the text, “Change my mind,” and “Save women’s sports.” In response, CUA student Rory O’Connor posted numerous memes criticizing YAF on his Instagram stories, including one with an obviously nonliteral and joking reference to… Read more
The Catholic University of America: Adjunct Professor Suspended Over Tweets About Obama, Sen. Kamala Harris
June 8, 2020
In May 2020, FIRE wrote to The Catholic University of America after John Tieso, an instructor and adjunct assistant professor of business management, was investigated and suspended after his tweets criticizing former President Barack Obama and Sen. Kamala Harris garnered attention from a local media outlet. CUA told Tieso to delete his Twitter account after… Read more
Catholic University of America: Rejection of Campus NAACP Chapter
June 30, 2004
The Catholic University of America (CUA) denied official approval to a group of students wishing to start a campus chapter of the NAACP. Despite university policies that protect student freedoms of dissent and expression, CUA argued that the existence of two other minority groups on campus made the group unnecessary. Facing pressure from FIRE and… Read more
Catholic University of America clears student of ‘disorderly conduct’ charge for ‘Arthur’ meme
April 5, 2022
Less than a week after launching an investigation, Catholic University of America has found a student not guilty of “disorderly conduct” for posting memes criticizing the university’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter. As FIRE reported last week, CUA launched an investigation into student Rory O’Connor on March 29, charging him with disorderly conduct for a… Read more
Catholic University investigates student for ‘disorderly’ memes criticizing YAF chapter
April 1, 2022
This April Fools’ Day, the only one not in on the joke is Catholic University of America, which launched an investigation of a student for memes he posted on his Instagram account criticizing the university’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. There’s no punch line here. On March 23, the university’s YAF chapter posted on… Read more
How adjunctification undermines academic freedom, and what FIRE is doing to help
December 6, 2021
One of the enduring myths of higher education is that the vast majority of professors are protected by tenure and have jobs for life, and so they are therefore free to research, teach, or speak openly about controversial ideas without fear of professional retaliation. This may have been the case 50 years ago — maybe… Read more
The Catholic University of America’s ‘no cancellation policy’ talks the talk, but skips a few steps
November 29, 2021
A small painting — well, two or three — is ruffling feathers at the Catholic University of America, and the university’s president is rebuffing calls for censorship by citing the university’s track record of defending freedom of expression. The Catholic News Agency reports on the theft of a “blasphemous” painting last week: A pieta painting… Read more
FIRE condemns Catholic University of America’s firing of professor for tweets critical of Democratic politicians
June 25, 2020
Catholic University of America professor John Tieso announced this morning that the private, Washington, D.C. university fired him for his political social media posts. Now, he says he’ll sue the institution for abandoning its free expression promises. Today, FIRE reminds the university — yet again — that it cannot fire a professor for political opinions…. Read more
Catholic U. won’t explain why it punished professor for tweets, even though it promises free speech
June 8, 2020
The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., ignoring a letter from FIRE, won’t explain why it suspended a professor for tweets expressing his personal political opinions — despite university policies that explicitly promise free speech. The episode should signal to CUA students and faculty that the university’s numerous written commitments to free expression are… Read more
Catholic University of America student government passes resolution banning top 200 porn sites
April 9, 2019
At an April 1 meeting, the student government at the Catholic University of America passed a resolution to block the “top 200 pornography sites” from university Wi-Fi. This block would be at odds with CUA’s stated commitments to free expression and academic freedom. While the university has not committed to implementing the filter yet, a… Read more
Thousands of Papers Go Missing at Catholic University; Editors Get Little Help from Administration, Police
April 7, 2009
A few days after breaking news of the brazen theft of a student newspaper at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, FIRE reports another such disheartening incident, this time at the Catholic University of America (CUA), where thousands of issues of the independent student newspaper The Tower were taken from their racks and thrown into… Read more
Victory for Freedom at Catholic University of America
October 13, 2004
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 13, 2004—The Catholic University of America (CUA) has decided to officially recognize a campus chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). CUA administrators tried to justify their initial decision to deny the group recognition through claims that it was “unnecessary” because two other minority groups already existed… Read more