Free speech on college campuses coexists with threats to free speech, such as speakers being disinvited due to pressure from students or the administration. Around half of colleges enforce speech codes prohibiting offensive speech, although the vague terms can sometimes extend to harmless jokes. These codes are intended to prevent hate speech and harassment, but enforcement can sometimes target trivial comments. The debate also touches on the perception that student protests infringe upon free speech rights.
Tensions have been ramping up at universities across the country as students continue to protest the war in Gaza. Reports of antisemitism, islamophobia, and harassment have led to concerns that some students have crossed a line into hateful and threatening speech that requires intervention. Others contend that efforts to clamp down on protests in the name of campus safety suppresses free speech. Within that context, we revisit this debate on adjacent issues from a few years back to see what lessons that can be applied to the current situation: Is Free Speech Threatened on Campus?
Arguing Yes: John McWhorter, Linguist and Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University; Wendy Kaminer, Writer and Lawyer
Arguing No: Shaun Harper, Founder and Executive Director of the USC Race and Equity Center; Jason Stanley, Professor of Philosophy at Yale University
Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates
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