What can I say? Free speech resources for educators

Be careful what you say.

For educators and academics, this phrase couldn’t be more timely. As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues and scholars feel compelled to speak out or simply answer questions from the media, many have been publicly condemned and even threatened. In the highest profile cases, such as the congressional testimony of three university presidents, people including former Harvard University President Claudine Gay have lost their jobs.

Meanwhile, states continue to consider and pass legislation that controls what educators can and cannot teach on a range of topics, squelching conversations about the historical and contemporary experiences of race, gender, ethnicity and anything else that may threaten or question the status quo.

The AFT has worked with our members on the ground, free speech advocates, and especially the American Association of University Professors, a lead advocate for academic freedom and free speech, to provide some guidance for those trying to navigate these complicated times.

Protecting the free exchange of ideas

Education plays an essential role in democracy, informing vigorous debate on everything from the national defense to who teaches kindergarten and how. As the AFT’s new website on free speech states, “This free exchange of ideas is vital to civic participation, whether through educationally appropriate classroom discussions, extracurricular campus events or protests on the quad.”

College campuses are places where we should be able to immerse ourselves in “difficult, passionate conversations about the issues that shape our world,” but sometimes that is easier said than done, especially in the face of unsympathetic or intractable administrators, well-heeled donors, unscrupulous politicians and off-campus extremists. To help our members navigate the challenge, the AFT has assembled resources for faculty and staff who are wondering:

• What is appropriate to discuss in our classrooms, and how can we ensure that classroom discussions are open and productive?
• What role can faculty, staff and administrators play in ensuring that extracurricular campus programming, including guest speakers, are moments where uncomfortable conversations can occur while respecting everyone’s right to free speech?
• How can we maintain a campus environment free of intimidation and threats of violence, where every member of the campus community feels like they can speak out publicly about matters of public importance?

The overall intent of these resources is described in an AFT resolution passed in December, “Condemning Hate and Affirming Freedom of Speech on Campus,” where the AFT pledges to “continue to condemn hate in all its forms, affirm the dignity and humanity of all, and promote intellectual freedom and First Amendment freedoms as foundations of our democracy.” An AAUP statement, “Academic Freedom in Times of War,” states in part, “institutional authorities must refrain from sanctioning faculty members for expressing politically controversial views and should instead defend their right, under principles of academic freedom, to do so.” There is also a White House fact sheet addressing the rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic events on campuses.

For those who need guidance to make it through more-immediate day-to-day challenges of teaching, and for those who want to protect themselves from threats that arise from speaking out, Faculty First Responders has specific tools for higher education workers as well as administrators. These include best practices such as familiarizing oneself with campus academic freedom policies, considering professional liability insurance, and researching any news outlet that asks for a quote to be sure they are legitimate and can be trusted to accurately represent your views. If the situation escalates, there is also advice about how to handle hateful emails and social media messages, and whether to leave your home if you have been “doxxed” (when someone publicly shares your home address to target you for physical threats).

Finally, the AFT offers links to PEN America, the widely recognized national leader for free speech. On its Campus Free Speech page, PEN enumerates chilling incidents of Islamophobic and antisemitic hate at colleges and universities and outlines an action plan to address them. Speak out, educate, defend, secure, support, guide, investigate and hold accountable, PEN advises, providing details about how to implement each of these ideals on the ground.

“Our two- and four-year colleges and universities must promote intellectual freedom and free speech,” says AFT President Randi Weingarten in a joint statement with Alabama State University professor Derryn E. Moten, University Council-AFT President Katie Rodger, Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York President James Davis, and Henry Ford Community College Federation of Teachers President Eric Rader. “This is an essential role of higher education in a democracy. Our institutions have an obligation to keep students and employees safe and to stand up against bigotry—and they must honor it.”

[Virginia Myers and AFT communications staff]