Brandeis U Revokes Recognition of Student Palestine Group Without Citing Any Violations of Policies
“Private universities ought to uphold robust protections for students’ free expression and association. Even if they are not subject to the First Amendment, private universities like Brandeis have rightfully… More
Handling Rising Antisemitism on Campuses
A wave of antisemitic rhetoric, harassment, threats, vandalism and violence has rocked campuses across the U.S. as the Israel-Hamas war escalates. More
Citing Grave Free Speech Concerns, PEN America Rejects Florida Campus Ban on Students for Justice in Palestine
Jonathan Friedman, director of Free Expression and Education Programs, issued the following statement: "This policy is part of a pattern from the Florida government, ready to cast aside free speech… More
Amid Campus Protests Over Israel-Hamas War, Students Should Not Face Punishment for Speaking Out
PEN America’s senior manager of free expression, Kristen Shahverdian, made the following comments: "Universities have an obligation to protect the free speech rights of their students. It would be… More
Doxxing of Harvard Students is a Threat to Free Expression, Says PEN America.
Kristen Shahverdian, PEN America’s senior manager of free expression and education, said: “Exposing students’ private information and intimidating them into silence is an undeniable threat to freedom of expression.… More
Guidance on Campus Free Speech, Amid Controversies and Protests Related to Israel and Gaza
Students, faculty, and staff can refer to PEN America’s Campus Free Speech Guide and Online Harassment Field Manual for further reading, resources, and practical advice. More
PEN America: Calls to Remove a Book from Princeton U Syllabus Are “Highly Misguided”
If we scrubbed college campuses of any book that could cause any offense, we would be left with a fairly barren environment for academic inquiry. More
Arizona Legislative Probe of Free Speech on Campuses Should Avoid Partisanship, Says PEN America
Jonathan Friedman, director of Free Expression and Education at PEN America, said: “While there is nothing wrong with government officials affirming support for free speech on campus or looking… More
PEN America Defends as Protected Speech a City University of New York Law Student’s Commencement Criticism of Israel and New York Police
Universities must be places where ideas can flow freely, especially political commentary. More
PEN America: Choice to Rescind Permission for Event at Medical College of Wisconsin Sends the Message that Speakers Must Pass Through an “Ideological Litmus Test”
"The choice to rescind permission for this event sends a message that the exchange of ideas at the Medical College of Wisconsin is not truly free and must pass… More