Another excellent statement by FIRE, yesterday:
[Wednesday], University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill signaled that one of our nation's most prestigious institutions is willing to abandon its commitment to freedom of expression.
"For decades, under multiple Penn presidents and consistent with most universities, Penn's policies have been guided by the Constitution and the law," explained Magill in a video posted to X. But now, she continued, the university "must initiate a serious and careful look at our policies," a process to start "immediately."
This is a deeply troubling, profoundly counterproductive response to yesterday's congressional hearing on "Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism." Were Penn to retreat from the robust protection of expressive rights, university administrators would make inevitably political decisions about who may speak and what may be said on campus. Such a result would undoubtedly compromise the knowledge-generating process free expression enables and for which universities exist.
To be clear: Universities will not enforce a rule against "calls for genocide" in the way elected officials calling for President Magill's resignation think they will. Dissenting and unpopular speech — whether pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian, conservative or liberal — will be silenced.
