PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel Testimony Before Congress on Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses
House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Hearing on “Diversity of Thought: Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses" * Statement of Suzanne Nossel, Chief… More
Cancellation of Drag Benefit Show on Texas Campus Goes Against Norms of Free Expression
“This cancellation is an abhorrent trampling of students’ free expression rights," said Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America. “It goes against university policy… More
American Council on Education and PEN America Release Resource Guide to Help Higher Education Leaders Defend Academic Freedom
Over the past several years, higher education leaders and free speech advocates have grown increasingly alarmed at the rise of what PEN America calls educational gag orders: legislative restrictions… More
The Absurd Year in Educational Censorship, From Gay Penguins to the Gettysburg Address
It has been an absurd year for educational censorship. More
As the Right Fights the Teaching of Race, A New AP Course Expands It
The history of academic freedom for LGBTQ educators and LGBTQ issues in the curriculum shows us that progress is not linear and that old ploys resurface in new guises. More
Universities Must Prioritize Both Campus Safety and Free Speech as Complementary, Not Competing Imperatives
During the past month, two public universities dealt with campus confrontations involving controversial speakers, student protesters, and apparent members of the Proud Boys, an organization heavily implicated in the… More
For LGBTQ Teachers, Academic Freedom Means the Freedom to Exist
The history of academic freedom for LGBTQ educators and LGBTQ issues in the curriculum shows us that progress is not linear and that old ploys resurface in new guises. More
Two Federal Judges Announce Boycotts of Yale Law Grads for Clerkships
Jeremy C. Young, senior manager of free expression and education programs at PEN America, released the following statement: “The boycott proposed by Judges Ho and Branch is both cruel and… More
Today’s Book Bans Echo a Panic Against Comic Books in the 1950s
History shows that when Americans grow panicked about the impact of reading material on children, they often don’t scrutinize specific claims against materials. More
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