For Educational Gag Orders, The Vagueness Is The Point
We find that instead of clarifying the laws, guidance documents have muddied the waters, further eroding academic freedom and students’ right to learn. More
Conservatives Oppose Educational Gag Orders, Too
Casual observers of the recent wave of educational gag orders could be forgiven for thinking that views on this issue are perfectly polarized along ideological lines. Conservatives support these… More
Educational Gag Orders Seek to Enforce Compulsory Patriotism
Three New Bills Become Law in Florida, Mississippi, and South Dakota Monthly Roundup, March This post is part of a series from PEN America tracking the progress of educational gag orders… More
These 4 Florida Bills Censor Classroom Subjects and Ideas
These bills have been the subject of much public commentary, including an unfortunate amount of misinformation. To cut through the confusion, PEN America explains below the salient features of… More
Educational Gag Orders Target Speech about LGBTQ+ Identities With New Prohibitions and Punishments
The effort to censor anti-LGBTQ identities in the classroom is expanding rapidly. More
In Higher Education, New Educational Gag Orders Would Exert Unprecedented Control Over College Teaching
In 2022, educational gag orders are being aimed squarely at colleges and universities to exert ideological control over what is being taught and read in classrooms. More
PEN America Decries Cancellation of Scholar’s Lecture at MIT
An upcoming talk by University of Chicago professor Dorian Abbot has reportedly been cancelled by the chair of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences department. More
Free Expression and Education
PEN America’s free expression and education program works with schools to ensure robust protections for freedom of speech are balanced with advancements in diversity and inclusion. More
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel Testifies on Censorship and Free Speech Issues in China
“The regime’s determination to hunt down dissenters wherever they are instills a sense of fear from which there is no escape, even far beyond Saudi borders.” More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
The latest in #bookban news: a website to "rate" kids' books that appears objective but is another tool of the banning advocates. Shows the increasing organization & coordination of the whole ban movement. H/t @veronikellymars https://bookriot.com/moms-for-liberty-booklooks/
How do the arts lead to change? How do you maintain a social justice perspective in the arts? What does it mean to be an artivist? The Literary Action Coalition and @BronxArtsorg will address these questions and more during our May 18th panel discussion. https://bit.ly/38jwfHG
